“We have to come out with the mindset and the mentality that we have to grind out wins. There’s still going to be a little, some funky parts of our game, no doubt ... But we have to just make sure we’ve gritty right from the beginning, especially with our starters.”

That was the message from New York Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello as her team prepared to open their season with a road game against the Washington Mystics on Tuesday night.

The Mystics were sure to bring the grit, as a team that had not only given New York all they could handle in round one of last season’s playoffs, but after re-tooling their roster in the offseason to kick-start a self-admitted rebuild, are roundly predicted to toil near the bottom of the standings this year. Brittany Sykes and Ariel Atkins might want to say something about that.

In the first half, they did, combining for four steals against a Liberty team whose grit was overshadowed by their sloppiness. Ten first-half turnovers were the story of the first 20 minutes, as some absurd shot-making by Jonquel Jones wasn’t enough to pull away from the home team...

Washington’s bigs matched Jones offensively, with off-season export Stefanie Dolson and Shakira Austin splashing threes and long twos even when well-contested. The Entertainment and Sports Arena was buzzing by tip-off, and their performances kept the crowd into it even as the Liberty built a 40-30 lead just before half-time.

It got real serious when the Mystics closed the half on a 13-0 run, as the Liberty continued to turn it over while their shot-making started to fade. New York’s revamped bench had some nice moments ? Ivana Dojki? and Leonie Fiebich made nice defensive plays, Kennedy Burke hit a jumper, Nyara Sabally had a big block...

...but none of the (many) lineups Brondello went to could quell Washington’s momentum.

“I thought Washington really threw a lot at us and we found some rhythm, we had some momentum, we’d get up, and then we’d let them straight back in, and usually it was from turnovers or taking quick shots,” said the head coach.

Not even the starters could stem the tide, as a 43-40 deficit at the half ballooned to an eight-point gap by the end of third quarter, which Washington capped with a half-court heave that was all net...

It wasn’t just miracles that went against the Libs in the third quarter. They left Atkins open time and again, as Washington’s shooting guard hit four threes on her way to 20 points. 20 seconds of locked-in defense were wasted by one last screen the Libs didn’t see coming. Brondello even tried mixing in some zone defense, which didn’t go much better.

It wasn’t about the X’s and O’s. New York just needed to play better, play tougher, and make the underdog Mystics feel them. Finally, they did to start the fourth quarter, with 80% of their starting five on the court, only with Breanna Stewart replaced by Kennedy Burke.

Burke’s fourth-quarter stint was the strongest individual moment for any Liberty reserve, as she scored a quick four points as part of a lineup that cut the deficit to 71-70, midway through the final frame.

“I thought I thought she did great,” said Brondello. “I mean, fourth quarter we’re down by eight I think, and Kennedy, she has experience. I think that helps. The moment didn’t faze her. She really played and read off the rest of the starters out there too, and that’s what we’re going to need.”

Stewart would check back in, but never got it going, shooting just 3-of-9 to finish with 8-and-8, and three turnovers. Her front-court partner Jones never turned the engine off, though, on her way to 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting.

“To come back and see [off-season work] kind of come to fruition, it does feel good. I know I said it in preseason and training camp, but where I was last year versus where I am this year,” said Jones, referencing starting last season with a foot injury, “I don’t I don’t take it for granted.

But the Bahamian big would need somebody to come along with her, someone to take advantage of all the space left in Washington's paint, created by Jones sticking along the perimeter for much of the night. (Seven of her 17 shots came from deep).

Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot had their hands full trying to contain Brittany Sykes, who turned up her aggression in the second half to near a triple-double with 14-10-7. Neither of New York’s guards did much in the way of scoring, combining for 7-of-21 shooting including 1-of-9 from deep, though they did tally 13 assists.

Ultimately, it was Betnijah Laney-Hamilton who answered the call, picking up right where she left off in the 2023 season. The Rutgers product filled gaps, attacking closeouts, shooting threes when defenders went under screens, even getting hot enough that straight isolations were a good option for New York, scoring ten of her 20 points in the fourth...

“I started to figure it out as the season went,” said Laney-Hamilton of her offensive role, “and now that we’ve had an offseason and everything, I just feel a lot more comfortable.”

Yet, the Libs still needed a few breaks to go their way. The Mystics fought like hell, with Sykes waltzing into the paint too easily a couple times to bring her team within a single point.

Then, on their next possession, Dolson launched a pick-and-pop three, seemingly destined to go in. Wouldn’t it be perfect? After getting smoked in the nation’s capital to open last season, the Liberty could experience the same result to start 2024, only it’d be a heart-breaking loss sealed by an old friend.

Nope. Dolson’s three rimmed off, and somehow, Shakira Austin, who made everything else on Tuesday night, missed an open put-back layup. The Liberty would play there free-throw game and get one final stop, a possession with far less excitement that ended in a Karlie Samuelson airball, and notch their first win of the season.

It wasn’t easy, and it certainly wasn’t perfect. Breanna Stewart didn’t wash up overnight, but ... a strong game from the reigning MVP would quell some worries after her poor postseason and rough start to ‘24. The Liberty still went swaths of the game without a paint touch, as Ionescu and Vandersloot looked far less dynamic than their counterparts, Atkins and Sykes.

Even the brand-new broadcast was rough at best, with My9 camera angles frequently lagging behind, and pinch-hitter John Fanta and Julianne Viani-Braen bungling some names, times, and scores.

But a win is a win. And the New York Liberty are off to a 1-0 start, with upcoming contests against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

It’s good to be back.

Final Score: New York Liberty 85, Washington Mystics 80.

Next Up

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The New York Liberty will begin a home-and-home series with Caitlin Clark, Aaliyah Boston, and the Indiana Fever on Thursday night, traveling to Indiana before coming back to the Barclays Center for the second game. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.