2003 New York Liberty Season in Review

A season that started with high hopes ended abruptly with a loss in Charlotte on August 24th in the last game of the regular season. The Liberty entered the contest needing to win the game to move into post season play but unfortunately came up short in overtime. Although the Liberty fell shy of making the playoffs for only the second time in their illustrious seven-year history, the 2003 season provided many exciting moments and individual accolades.

Crystal Robinson scored in double-figures 21 times in 2003. WNBAE Photos

In a season of ups and downs, Becky Hammon�s story is a microcosm for the entire 2003 campaign. Hammon started the year on fire and was averaging 14.7 points per game before she tore her right ACL on June 27 in a tough loss to Detroit. However, prior to the injury, Hammon torched the Minnesota Lynx for a career-high 33 points along with recording a career-high six three-pointers and a career-high 12 field goals in the game. The scoring output also placed Hammon as New York�s highest individual scorer in a game all-time. Two contests later, the 5-6 guard scorched the Cleveland Rockers for 28 points on 6-8 shooting from the floor including 3-4 from beyond the arc. Despite only playing 11 games, Hammon finished the season leading the team in four categories; points per game (14.7 ppg), field-goal percentage (.575), three-point percentage (.469) and free-throw percentage (.951) among all Liberty players with 10 or more games played. More proof of her first month dominance shows up in the WNBA statistics as the fifth-year player also completed the year first in three-point field goal and free-throw percentage among the WNBA�s best.

2003 SEASON REVIEW PHOTO GALLERY

After starting the year with an injured calf muscle, Vickie Johnson came back strong posting a career year with personal bests of 13.4 ppg, .458 field-goal percentage and 430 total points. The two-time WNBA All-Star anchored the Liberty on both ends of the floor. Her offensive prowess equally matched her defensive play as she guarded the opponent's toughest offensive players on a nightly basis. Johnson posted her 2,500th career point against the Connecticut Sun on August 12, cementing her place as the Liberty�s All-Time High Scorer (2,572).

The 2003 New York Liberty. MSG Photos

All-around play, on both sides of the court, was also a trend with Liberty veterans Crystal Robinson and Tari Phillips. Robinson, who registered her 1,500th career point in 2003, averaged a career-high 12.0 ppg including 21 games with 10 or more points scored. The forward led New York in scoring 10 times while combining with Johnson to score 50 percent or more of the teams total output in more than 13 contests. Phillips, the Liberty�s 6-1 center, dominated the rebounding glass for New York all season grabbing a career-high 280 rebounds while averaging a career-high 8.5 per contest, good for fifth in the league. Phillips posted her 1,000th WNBA career and Liberty rebound as well as becoming the first New York player to register 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 points in a career.

New York captain and team leader Teresa Weatherspoon carried her share of the load as the five-time WNBA All-Star led the squad in assists (149) for the seventh consecutive season. Weatherspoon, one of only five WNBA players to have played in every game since the league's inception, dished out five or more assists 13 times including two nine assist performances.

The 2003 season also welcomed the likes of new players Elena Baranova and Lindsey Yamasaki, rookies K.B. Sharp and Erin Thorn and the emergence of up and coming second-year post player Linda Fr�hlich.

Russian star and 2001 WNBA All-Star Baranova found her way in and around New York just fine. Once comfortable with the smaller basketball and the New York Liberty�s offense, the 6-5 versatile player showed off her offensive and defensive skills including an old fashioned hook shot and a team-high 43 blocks including a season-high three six times during the season. Baranova also provided rebounding assistance averaging 5.5 boards a game while displaying a keen eye for passing finishing third on the squad in total assists with 64.

Fr�hlich, Sharp, Thorn and Yamasaki each enjoyed some bright moments of their own. Sharp provided great poise and knowledge of the game as she led the offense while Spoon took a break. The Ohio native was ranked in the top five among WNBA rookies in three categories; assists per game, assists per turnover and free-throw percentage. Thorn, a Brigham Young graduate, displayed her sharp shooting skills with a career high 12 points versus the Detroit Shock on August 1, hitting 4-6 from three-point land. Fr�hlich showed that hard work pays off as she battled under the boards and provided some offensive punch off the bench while Yamasaki added height and depth to the Liberty frontline.

As a team the New York Liberty etched its name farther into the history books on several occasions during the 2003 season. On July 12, 2003, the New York Liberty hosted the WNBA All-Star game for the second time in franchise history as three Liberty players represented the Big Apple in the weekend's festivities. Weatherspoon and Phillips were voted by the fans onto the Eastern Conference squad as starters for the fifth and fourth times, respectively, while sharpshooting guard Hammon was also named to the All-Star team by the WNBA head coaches.

After the All-Star break, the Liberty orchestrated two of the top comebacks in team history. Against the Connecticut Sun on August 12, the Liberty demonstrated the type of heart that they have been known to represent by overcoming a 17-point deficit to post a 74-73 victory, which was the second biggest comeback in team history. New York then defied the odds again on August 21 versus the Washington Mystics battling back from a 20-point halftime deficit to mark the largest margin of a comeback victory (65-60) for the Liberty all-time.

In the strangest scenario of all, due to the massive blackout on August 14, the New York Liberty became the first team in WNBA history to play three games in as many days. Not only did the Liberty play the first back-to-back-to-back in league history (8/16, 8/17, 8/18) but New York finished the games with a 2-1 mark. Despite losing the first game to the Connecticut Sun, the Liberty battled to win the last two games.

In the Liberty�s young life, the team has set the standard around the WNBA for consistency with over 120 wins. This season, over 12,000 passionate fans per game enjoyed Liberty basketball, while the in-arena experience continued to provide the Liberty with the greatest home court advantage in the WNBA.