After clinching a playoff spot, the only thing left for the Liberty to do was give the fans at their temporary home a victory. They delivered.
New York played a high-spirited statement game on Sept. 9 against the Eastern Conference leading Indiana Fever. After some even play back and forth, Essence Carson came off the bench for NY and proceeded to light up the scoreboard. At the end of the first, the Liberty led 29-21.
During the second quarter, Newark Mayor Cory Booker appeared with a young fan to take in the action. This period saw some impressive lockdown defense by the home team, which led to several shot clock violations on Indiana throughout the game. The Liberty closed out the first half with a Nicole Powell layup at the buzzer and a 47-35 lead.
Indiana eventually made its run, spurred on by a couple of perimeter baskets from Shannon Bobbitt, which helped to cut the deficit to 57-50. Then, the Fever forced the Liberty into the penalty, and threatened to move even closer at the foul line. New York head coach John Whisenant objected to the officiating, and got a technical foul for his opinion. Despite that, the Liberty would close out the period thanks to another buzzer beater - courtesy of Essence Carson - that secured a 65-55 lead after three quarters.
The Fever did not clinch the #1 seed in the East playoffs for nothing, and continued to keep within striking distance in the fourth quarter. With 3:09 left in the game, Indiana pulled to within six points. However, Leilani Mitchell hit a big three-pointer with 2:00 left to extend the lead. Nicole Powell applied the dagger with a trey of her own, helping to secure an 83-75 win.
Essence Carson led all scorers with 18 points, shooting 7-12 from the field. Teammate Kia Vaughn added 15 points and 9 rebounds, while Leilani Mitchell scored 13 points. The Fever got 17 points from Katie Douglas and 16 points from Shannon Bobbitt. New York did a great job in keeping Tamika Catchings in check, holding the All-Star to 2-8 shooting and 9 points on the night, along with forcing her into 5 turnovers.
“It’s about who plays well and who doesn’t,” said Liberty coach John Whisenant after the game. “We have to play well to beat them, and we did.”
When asked about the defensive job the team did on Catchings, Whisenant said, “That’s what we’re supposed to do. In the last game, she (Catchings) had more free throws than our entire team. She and Katie (Douglas) are their best players, so we concentrated on shutting them down.”
Whisenant also expressed his appreciation of the fans at the Prudential Center, which is the home away from home for the Liberty while Madison Square Garden undergoes renovations. The team, which finished the regular season at 19-15 (12-5 at home), will play the Fever in the first round of the 2011 postseason.
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