The New York Liberty are set to enjoy an extended stretch at home. On Thursday, the Liberty will kick off a seven-game homestand, starting with the Golden State Valkyries. It could be their longest homestand of the season.
New York enters Thursday’s game with a 3-1 start to the new season. While opening the year with three road games and just one home game wasn’t ideal, the Liberty have handled it well so far.
When talking about New York, the first player mentioned is always Breanna Stewart. Over the past four games, Stewart has made a major impact, continuing the form she has shown throughout her career. She leads the team in points (23.0), rebounds (9.0) and blocks (2.0), and was also named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
After suffering their first loss, a 98-96 defeat to the Portland Fire where Stewart struggled offensively, she responded with 22 points and seven rebounds in a rematch, helping the Liberty secure a 100-82 win. Pauline Astier is another player who’s quickly became a fan favorite, and in four appearances she has averaged 16.8 points, 4.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds. While she is playing in the absence of Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally, the No. 18 has impressed many Liberty fans and is certain to feature in many games to come. It would not be surprising to see another strong performance as New York begins its long home stretch.
Meanwhile, the Valkyries will be hoping to get their season back on track. They enter the game following a loss to the Chicago Sky. It was not a pretty night for the Valkyries, as their offense completely dried up against the Sky, leading to a 69-63 defeat.
Gabby Williams led the team with 18 points but shot just 6-of-17 from the field. Veronica Burton, who scored 16 points, also struggled offensively, shooting 5-of-15. Kaila Charles, Kia Stokes and Kayla Thornton faced similar issues in the loss.
Williams’ change of scenery from Seattle has worked well so far. She is averaging 14.7 points and 5.3 assists this season. French forward Janelle Salaün leads the team in scoring with 15.7 points per game. Despite their stacked roster, earning a win away at New York will be anything but easy, especially with Golden State winning just one of the four meetings last season.
Golden State Valkyries vs New York Liberty Injury Reports
Golden State Valkyries Injury Report
The Valkyries have two players on the injury report for this game. Juste Jocyte is out due to reconditioning as she returns from international duty, while Cecilia Zandalasini is out under concussion protocol.
New York Liberty Injury Report
The Liberty, on the other hand, have listed four players on the injury report. Sabrina Ionescu has not played at all for the Liberty this season because of a foot injury. She is listed as questionable, and it would not be surprising if she sees some game time tonight. Satou Sabally (reconditioning) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (personal reasons) are also listed as questionable. Marine Fauthoux is the only player ruled out, as she continues to recover from a knee injury.
Golden State Valkyries vs New York Liberty Starting Lineups
Golden State Valkyries Starting Lineup
PG: Veronica Burton, SG: Gabby Williams, SF: Kayla Thornton, PF: Kaila Charles, C: Kiah Stokes
New York Liberty Starting Lineup
PG: Pauline Astier, SG: Marine Johannes, SF: Rebekah Gardner, PF: Breanna Stewart, C: Jonquel Jones
Golden State Valkyries full roster
Tiffany Hayes
Kayla Thornton
Kiah Stokes
Cecilia Zandalasini
Gabby Williams
Kaila Charles
Iliana Rupert
Veronica Burton
Kaitlyn Chen
Juste Jocyte
Laeticia Amihere
Janelle Salaün
Miela Sowah
Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda
New York Liberty full roster
Breanna Stewart
Jonquel Jones
Sabrina Ionescu
Marine Johannes
Leonie Fiebich
Satou Sabally
Rebecca Allen
Rebekah Gardner
Pauline Astier
Marine Fauthoux
Raquel Carrera
Han Xu
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
Ugonne Onyiah
Alex Fowler
DiDi Richards
Annika Soltau
Manuela Puoch
How to watch Golden State Valkyries vs New York Liberty?
The Valkyries vs Liberty matchup is scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET tipoff at Barclays Center in New York. The game will be televised nationally on Amazon Prime Video and locally on WWOR (My9).
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
