Liberty-Shock Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jun 24 2010 3:40PM

The addition of Plenette Pierson hasn't helped the New York Liberty break out of their slow start. The team she left has remained trapped in an even deeper funk.

In her return to Tulsa, Pierson will try to help the Liberty end a three-game losing streak Friday night when they meet the Shock, losers of six in a row.

After finishing last in the Eastern Conference in 2009, New York acquired All-Star guard Cappie Pondexter from reigning WNBA champion Phoenix. Despite her 20.3 points per game, the Liberty (4-7) have been near the bottom of the standings again this season.

To try to move up, New York got Pierson, a member of two title-winning teams in Detroit and a former Sixth Woman of the Year, from the Shock for forward Tiffany Jackson on June 14.

Coming off the bench in her two games with the Liberty, Pierson scored 10 points in a loss to Seattle and six in Tuesday's 75-68 defeat to Minnesota.

After being outscored 24-11 in the third quarter Tuesday, New York rallied to take the lead with 3:09 remaining but watched the Lynx finish on a 10-2 run.

"I just think we ran poor offense in the third quarter," coach Anne Donovan said. "But defensively there was lapses where we didn't communicate and that has been an issue for us."

The Shock, meanwhile, have struggled adjusting to their own changes, beginning with coach Nolan Richardson's fast-paced system. Leading scorers Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith also declined to move with the team from Detroit, leaving only four players from last year's playoff team.

After all of those changes, Tulsa (3-9) is at the bottom of the West and is stuck in the franchise's longest skid since losing its first 13 games in 2002.

The Shock are giving up 89.3 points per game, second-most in the league, and that average has been at 94.0 during this six-game skid while they've scored 77.3.

Tulsa had one of its best offensive performances of the month Tuesday but lost 96-90 in Atlanta. The Shock, who hit 7 of 14 from 3-point range, tied the game with 3:14 to play but went scoreless for the next 2 1/2 minutes.

"We never ever have stopped trying to play and that's the great part," Richardson said. "It gave them some glimpses of hope that if we can play like this every night, we're going to win some games."

As they welcome the Liberty to Tulsa for the first time, the Shock are hoping to carry over their home dominance of New York from their days in Detroit.

The Shock won their final nine games in Michigan against the Liberty, including all four during a pair of playoff series victories. Including the postseason, they were 22-6 at home against New York.

Mitchell lead Liberty past Shock 92-78

By JEFF LATZKE
Posted Jun 25 2010 10:23PM

TULSA, Okla.(AP) Leilani Mitchell set career highs with six 3-pointers and 20 points, Nicole Powell added 16 points and the New York Liberty beat the Tulsa Shock 92-78 on Friday night to give Anne Donovan the 150th victory of her WNBA coaching career.

Mitchell matched a WNBA record with four 3-pointers in the first quarter to help the Liberty open a double-digit lead they wouldn't relinquish. She added back-to-back 3s in the third quarter as New York stretched its lead to 65-40 before holding off a comeback bid by Tulsa.

Former Olympic track star Marion Jones had career highs with eight points and 15 minutes for the Shock. She also notched the first two blocks of her WNBA career, swatting away shots by the taller Plenette Pierson and Janel McCarville in the third quarter.

• Liberty: --
• Shock: --

• Liberty: --
• Shock: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
• Officials: #39 Michael Price, #24 Tony Dawkins, #43 Brenda Pantoja
• Attendance: 4554
• Duration: 2:5