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tRY IT NOWLiberty coach Sandy Brondello called a timeout at the 8:38 mark of the third quarter Tuesday night to disrupt the Mystics’ growing momentum.
Washington had opened the second half on an 8-2 run, knocking in back-to-back 3s, to trim the Liberty’s 15-point halftime lead to nine.
The timeout was a chance to regroup and recalibrate.
About two minutes later, Brondello subbed in Kennedy Burke and Emma Meesseman.
The vibes almost immediately changed.
Sabrina Ionescu connected with Burke for a layup.
Moments later, Breanna Stewart fed Meesseman for a 3-pointer to grow the Liberty’s lead to 12.
Meesseman scored a game-high 19 points off the bench to help the Liberty beat the Mystics 75-66 at Barclays Center.
It’s the job of the bench to keep the game steady when starters check out. But it also can provide a much-needed boost when the game calls for it.
That third-quarter stretch powered by Meesseman was an example of how important a team’s depth is.
Meesseman scored nine points in the third quarter and got to the free throw line four times. When Meesseman and Burke were on the floor, the Liberty outscored the Mystics by four in the quarter.
New York’s bench outscored the Mystics’ 29-14.
While the Liberty’s rotation will certainly shrink once the playoffs come, the bench can’t be forgotten in the equation.
Much has been made about the fact Stewart, Ionescu and Jonquel Jones having played just 14 games together. And Tuesday was only the 11th time this season the Liberty have deployed their opening night starting lineup of Natasha Cloud, Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Stewart and Jones.
Though the stars always shine brighter in the playoffs, the bench’s importance can’t be overlooked.
It was quite nice to see the Liberty with a clean bill of health for the first time since May. It gave a better sense of what this team can be when its best players are together.
Stewart finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Jones contributed 12 points and team-high 11 rebounds, while Ionescu had six points and nine assists.
The Liberty improved to 26-17 on the season and 12-2 when their trio of Stewart, Ionescu and Jones plays.
New York is scheduled to wrap up its regular season Thursday in Chicago.
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The defending champions secured the fifth seed and most likely will head to Phoenix for Game 1 of their first-round series.