Sky-Liberty Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted May 15 2010 7:58PM

Although they are one of the league's eight charter franchises, the New York Liberty are still seeking their first WNBA title. The Liberty are hoping the addition of some championship talent can help them change that.

New York opens its season at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, when it faces former Liberty forward Shameka Christon and the Chicago Sky.

The Liberty have won four Eastern Conference titles, but haven't advanced to the finals since 2002 and have missed two of the last four postseasons. New York finished a conference-worst 13-21 in 2009.

Looking to move past that disappointment, the Liberty made a major offseason splash with the acquisition of three-time All-Star guard Cappie Pondexter from Phoenix. Pondexter finished fourth in the league with 19.1 points per game last season and helped the Mercury win their second title in three years.

"I was interested after the end of our championship run in Phoenix to start a new career in New York," Pondexter told WNBA.com after the three-team deal that sent Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld to the Sky. "I'm more than excited and I'm ready to take this adventure on and bring a winning mentality to the Liberty."

All-Star forward Nicole Powell, who won a title with Sacramento in 2005, hopes to bring that same mentality to New York after being selected first overall by the Liberty in the dispersal draft after the Monarchs folded.

New York also added six-time All-Star Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who won a title with Detroit in 2008 and is averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in her career. The 39-year-old center averaged 9.8 points and 7.2 boards last season with the Shock.

"With Cappie and the addition of Nicole Powell, Taj McWilliams-Franklin and the rest of our core group on this club, we will believe we have positioned ourselves to get back on top of the Eastern Conference and challenge for the WNBA championship this season," team president and general manager Carol Blazejowski told the Liberty's official website.

Second-year coach Anne Donovan will try to make the new talent mesh, but the Hall of Famer doesn't have much time to do so. Donovan agreed during the offseason to take over the Seton Hall program once the WNBA season concludes.

While the Liberty are trying to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the fifth-year Sky are seeking their first postseason bid.

Chicago did not take a step in that direction in Saturday's season opener, falling 74-61 at Connecticut. Christon, who led the Liberty with 16.1 points per game last season, had 11 in her Sky debut, while Kraayeveld scored six. They combined to shoot 1 for 8 from 3-point range as Chicago missed 14 of 15 attempts from beyond the arc.

"They both are outstanding shooters,'' said Sky center Sylvia Fowles, who had 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. "We just have to find a rhythm that is good for them and we have to be on the same page as well.''

Former Rutgers star Epiphanny Prince had seven points and five steals off the bench for the Sky in her WNBA debut

New York and Chicago split four meetings last season with each team winning once on the other's home court. Christon led New York with 18 points in the Sky's last visit to Madison Square Garden - a 77-63 Liberty victory Aug. 30.

Pondexter wins Liberty debut, 85-82 over Sky

By VIN A. CHERWOO
Posted May 16 2010 6:33PM

NEW YORK(AP) Cappie Pondexter scored 22 points, Taj McWilliams-Franklin had 20 and the new-look New York Liberty beat the Chicago Sky 85-82 on Sunday to win their season opener.

Nicole Powell and Essence Carson added 11 points each for New York and Leilani Mitchell had nine assists. Pondexter, McWilliams-Franklin and Powell were all making their Liberty debuts after being acquired in the offseason.

Sylvia Fowles scored 23 points to lead the Sky (0-2), who opened the season with a loss at Connecticut on Saturday. Dominique Canty had 12 points and nine rebounds.

McWilliams-Franklin made three free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal it after Chicago rallied from a 16-point deficit to tie the score late in the fourth quarter.

Cathrine Kraayeveld had 11 points and Shameka Christon added 10 in their first game at Madison Square Garden since being traded to Chicago in the offseason three-team deal that brought Pondexter to New York from Phoenix. Christon and Kraayeveld received a strong ovation from the crowd during pregame lineup introductions, and again after a video tribute during a timeout midway through the first quarter.

Erin Thorn, another former Liberty player, also had 11 points.

After trailing by 16 late in the third quarter, Fowles' layup with 3:05 left in regulation tied the score at 76. Pondexter followed with a jumper and Carson made two free throws to give New York a four-point lead.

Fowles had a three-point play to pull Chicago to 80-79 with 1:43 to go. Pondexter hit one free throw and McWilliams-Franklin made two to put the Liberty back ahead by four.

After Canty's 3 got the Sky within one with 2.4 seconds to go, McWilliams-Franklin closed it out at the line with 1.8 seconds left.

The Liberty took control with an 18-0 run in the third quarter. Carson started it off with a jumper that tied the score at 52 with 6:14 left, and Pondexter had consecutive three-point plays to push New York's lead to 68-52 with 1:06 remaining.

Sandora Irvin made a jumper with 36.9 seconds for Chicago's first score since Christon's 3 with 6:30 left.

After Pondexter's jumper restored the Liberty's 16-point lead in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, the Sky scored 12 consecutive points to pull to 70-66 with 7:24 to go. Thorn started the run with a 3 and capped it with a jumper, and then made a free throw to cut Chicago's lead to 74-71 with 5:34 remaining.

Pondexter hit another jumper to extend the Liberty's lead to five, but the Sky scored the next five points to tie the score 76-76 on Fowles' layup with 3:05 left.

Powell made her second 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Liberty a 47-45 at the break. McWilliams-Franklin led the way with 14 points in the first half, Pondexter had nine and Powell eight.

Fowles led Chicago with 13 points in the opening half, and Christon and Perkins each had seven.

• Sky: --
• Liberty: --

• Sky: --
• Liberty: --

• Lead Changes: 15
• Times Tied: 12

• Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Officials: #4 Sue Blauch, #45 Tom Mauer, #53 Jeffrey Smith
• Attendance: 12088
• Duration: 1:54