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Essence Carson is one of three former Rutgers University players on the Liberty roster.
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New York Liberty: Same Team, New Jersey
A temporary era of WNBA basketball tipped off at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Wednesday.
The New York Liberty�s first game at the arena comes after 14 years at Madison Square Garden. New York will spend three years at the Prudential Center while The Garden undergoes an $850 million renovation.
New York began their short tenure in Newark with a 60-57 preseason loss to the Washington Mystics in the matinee matchup. Center Kia Vaughn led all Liberty scorers with 10 points. Forward Plenette Pierson added nine. Staten Island, N.Y. native Nicky Anosike led all players with 14.
�It was still a great environment,� Liberty guard Essence Carson said of �The Rock,� as the arena is also known. �We still have a lot of support from New York. We�re a New York based team. Now we�re getting a lot of love from New Jersey.�
New York entered the locker room at the half with a 30-21 lead. Washington erased that margin by the end of the third quarter and pulled ahead, 42-40. With the score tied at 57 with 4.8 seconds on the clock, former Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.) alumnus Matee Ajavon drained a three to give the Mystics the lead and win. Ajavon�s shot came just feet away from her former Rutgers coach and Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer.
�I�m glad she came and supported us, all her Rutgers alumni,� said Vaughn, who graduated in 2009. �(The Rock) is the second home now until we have to go home to our first home. The fans are loving us and supporting us and that�s a good feeling.�
�It was a preseason game and we got to play a lot of combinations,� first-year Liberty coach John Whisenant said. �We got a good lead. We gave it up. We played our new people together. I wanted us to have a chance to play like many games in the WNBA are, who can play in the last two minutes. I wanted to get some of that kind of experience.�
Three former Rutgers players don Liberty uniforms this season: Cappie Pondexter, Vaughn and Carson. Vaughn and Carson agree their familiarity with their Rutgers bond and each other does have its benefits.
�We have the chemistry there," Vaughn said. �There�s a respect between us three. It�s like a sisterhood that we carried on into the league.�
�Familiarity with players period, no matter what university, that always helps,� Carson said. �With the defensive-based background, this is something we can definitely thrive in.�
Whisenant noted the biggest area of on-court improvement he'd like to see after Wednesday�s loss is in the rebounding department. While the players work on that, he�s working on finalizing the roster.
�I have to make a decision next week on which 11 to keep. I kind of know who the top five or six are, but who the next five are and who fits in with that five or six is what I�ve got to evaluate as general manager and coach.�
The New York Liberty�s first game at the arena comes after 14 years at Madison Square Garden. New York will spend three years at the Prudential Center while The Garden undergoes an $850 million renovation.
New York began their short tenure in Newark with a 60-57 preseason loss to the Washington Mystics in the matinee matchup. Center Kia Vaughn led all Liberty scorers with 10 points. Forward Plenette Pierson added nine. Staten Island, N.Y. native Nicky Anosike led all players with 14.
�It was still a great environment,� Liberty guard Essence Carson said of �The Rock,� as the arena is also known. �We still have a lot of support from New York. We�re a New York based team. Now we�re getting a lot of love from New Jersey.�
New York entered the locker room at the half with a 30-21 lead. Washington erased that margin by the end of the third quarter and pulled ahead, 42-40. With the score tied at 57 with 4.8 seconds on the clock, former Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.) alumnus Matee Ajavon drained a three to give the Mystics the lead and win. Ajavon�s shot came just feet away from her former Rutgers coach and Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer.
�I�m glad she came and supported us, all her Rutgers alumni,� said Vaughn, who graduated in 2009. �(The Rock) is the second home now until we have to go home to our first home. The fans are loving us and supporting us and that�s a good feeling.�
�It was a preseason game and we got to play a lot of combinations,� first-year Liberty coach John Whisenant said. �We got a good lead. We gave it up. We played our new people together. I wanted us to have a chance to play like many games in the WNBA are, who can play in the last two minutes. I wanted to get some of that kind of experience.�
Three former Rutgers players don Liberty uniforms this season: Cappie Pondexter, Vaughn and Carson. Vaughn and Carson agree their familiarity with their Rutgers bond and each other does have its benefits.
�We have the chemistry there," Vaughn said. �There�s a respect between us three. It�s like a sisterhood that we carried on into the league.�
�Familiarity with players period, no matter what university, that always helps,� Carson said. �With the defensive-based background, this is something we can definitely thrive in.�
Whisenant noted the biggest area of on-court improvement he'd like to see after Wednesday�s loss is in the rebounding department. While the players work on that, he�s working on finalizing the roster.
�I have to make a decision next week on which 11 to keep. I kind of know who the top five or six are, but who the next five are and who fits in with that five or six is what I�ve got to evaluate as general manager and coach.�