Liberty falls to Minnesota, 0-3 record
New York Liberty #23 Cappie Pondexter secures a rebound against Minnesota Lynx #32 Rebekkah Brunson during a WNBA basketball game at the Prudential Center. Pondexter led the Liberty with 15 points as New York lost to Minnesota, 80-62. (May 22, 2012) Credit: Jason Decrow
NEWARK -- Liberty coach John Whisenant looked down at the boxscore once, twice, again and again, searching for a fix for his offense.
After last season, Whisenant met with former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni to discuss his system. He borrowed video. He studied the way D'Antoni's teams ran his run-and-gun offense in Phoenix and New York.
But after the latest loss -- a 80-62 defeat by the defending champion Minnesota Lynx Tuesday night -- Whisenant's re-creation of that system is, so far, misfiring on all cylinders.
"We didn't play very well, that's obvious," he said. "We're just not where we need to be."
The playbook requires perimeter players to spread the floor and hit open shots, freeing space for inside players to get high-percentage buckets. Neither is happening.
The Liberty is averaging just 70.6 points and shot 33.8 percent from the floor Tuesday night. Cappie Pondexter scored 15 points but took 23 shots, which she admitted was too much.
"I think going into Atlanta, we have to pound the ball inside," Pondexter said.
The Liberty made a conscious effort to push the ball in transition, and looked good at times doing it. But the bursts of cohesiveness were short-lived. And the Lynx, one of the top defensive teams in the league, adjusted.
The game was tied at 29 before the Lynx went on a 15-4 run to end the half ahead at 44-33. In the second half, the Liberty couldn't pull closer than eight. Seimone Augustus scored 22 points and Maya Moore, the former UConn star, had 15 points and seven assists for Minnesota (2-0). Essence Carson had 13 points and Kia Vaughn had 11 rebounds for the Liberty.
Whisenant said he'd give the team Wednesday off to regroup before playing Atlanta on Friday. At 0-3, the team's worst start since 2006, it's still early, but there's a longing for solutions.
"We're not getting the execution," Whisenant said. "Why it's not happening, I don't have an answer . . . I think we've got enough people to win any game."
Prahalis' FTs lift Mercury. Samantha Prahalis hit two free throws with 22.2 seconds left to give Phoenix an 89-87 road win over the Tulsa Shock. The rookie guard from Commack had six points and seven assists.
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