By Only Players Staff
Updated 9/23/24 9:59pm ET
New York dominated the series opener and look to advance with a win in Game 2. The spread in the opener was 13.5 and the Liberty won by 14.
Photo Courtesy: Icon Sportswire
An automated transcript is listed below. Completely accuracy is not guaranteed.
WNBA playoffs are off and running and first round is best of three. But last couple years, game twos have sort of felt like the NBA playoffs where the zigzag theory may apply a little bit. The underdog that got blown out in game one or at least lost by double digits did make it a game in game two. Some even won outright and forced a game three on their home court, the decisive game three. So unique format for sure. But there are parallels with the NBA.
So let’s start with the Liberty, the number one overall seed and championship betting favorite, 12.5 point favorites over the Atlanta Dream, who didn’t get into the playoffs until the final day of the regular season. You’re over under buck 56 and a half now. Liberty were wire to wire in this one led by double digits after one and extended the lead after each quarter until the fourth when the scrubs were in and the Atlanta outscored by a few points. So this was a one sided game.
But 12.5 is a big number. That’s the only way I would play this. I like Atlanta. They’re at full strength. They missed Rhyne Howard, their best player for portions of the season. But for the most part, even at full strength, as much as I like them, this Liberty team is too good. But there is sort of a component to relaxing. Like I said, we see it in the NBA a lot. Teams win big first game one. The road team only came to get one of those first two. So you’re gonna get a good effort out of Atlanta. The Liberty can kind of hit some hiccups.
But I just think they’re two loaded. Fiebich had a great game, 21 points at career high. Breanna Stewart double -double. Sabrina only went for 17 -5 -5, and I say only because she can drop 30, but they just have so much depth and skill. I think the Liberty, even if it’s not an exact replication of the first game in terms of wire -to -wire, I think eventually at some point they stretch it out to double digits and go on to cover
