WNBA playoff takeaways: Liberty alter starting lineup in easy win over Dream; Lynx toughen up down the stretch

The No. 1 New York Liberty started Sunday’s slate of WNBA playoff games with an 83-69 win over the No. 8 Atlanta Dream. New York can sweep the series with a win Tuesday, while Atlanta will look to force a Game 3.

New York was dominant from start to finish, outscoring Atlanta 29-16 in the first quarter. Here’s what it took for the Liberty to win Game 1:

Leonie Fiebich saves best game for playoffs

This was the Liberty rookie’s first playoff game, and Leonie Fiebich made the most of it. She’s been a key contributor for New York all season, mostly coming off the bench, but coach Sandy Brondello opted to start Fiebich against Atlanta. She finished with a season-high 21 points and was 5-of-5 shooting in the first half. She’s averaging 6.7 points, 3 rebounds and 1.8 assists on the season.

Fiebich, who will likely earn All-Rookie honors this season, finished 7-of-8 from the floor, including 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. She is also just the seventh rookie to have her first 20-point game in the playoffs.

Fiebich started in place of 14-year veteran Courtney Vandersloot. But despite coming off the bench for the first time in her 32 appearances this season, Vandersloot still made history. The guard dished out her 365th assist, passing Sue Bird for the most assists in WNBA playoff history.

Liberty win 3-point and free-throw battle

New York got out to a hot start, going 5-of-10 from the 3-point line in the first half, while the Dream were 0-of-8. New York cooled off after halftime and finished the game 8-of-23 (34.8%), but Atlanta couldn’t close the 3-point shooting gap. The Dream were 3-of-16 (18.8%) from beyond the arc.

Fiebich scored 12 points from beyond the arc, and Sabrina Ionescu added 9, going 3-of-7 from distance.

The Liberty also won the free-throw battle, making 17-of-18 attempts to Atlanta’s 12-of-19.

Starters shine, while bench stays quiet

Of New York’s 83 points, all but four came from the starting five. Fiebich led with 21, Breanna Stewart had 20, Ionescu had 17, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton had 10 and Jonquel Jones added 9. Vandersloot had all the bench points.

The lack of bench scoring wasn’t an issue against Atlanta, and it likely won’t be for the remainder of the series, but New York will need production outside of its starting five as the playoffs progress.

Kayla Thornton, Kennedy Burke, Nyara Sabally and Vandersloot are all capable of contributing off the bench. Vandersloot typically scores 6.4 points per game, Thornton averages 5.5, Sabally contributes 4.9, and Burke averages 3.4. Meanwhile, Fiebich is usually New York’s biggest contributor off the bench, but if she continues to start, the Liberty will need to find a lift outside of their first five.

Lynx end game on 11-3 run to defeat Mercury

No. 2 Minnesota looked ready to run away from No. 7 Phoenix, leading by as many as 23 in the first half of their opening round-matchup Sunday. But the Mercury ended the second quarter on a 15-6 run that ignited a strong second half. Phoenix was able to regain the lead multiple times in the fourth quarter, but the Lynx stepped up when it mattered, ending the game on an 11-3 run for a 102-95 victory. Here’s how it all shook out:

Lynx weather storm in offensive battle

Minnesota led Phoenix 32-19 after the first quarter, but the Mercury outscored the Lynx in the remaining three frames to keep things interesting.

Both teams shot at a high clip, combining for 71 made field goals. Minnesota shot 49.3% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc, finishing with 10 made 3-pointers. Phoenix made 50% of its attempts from the field and 51.9% from the 3-point line. The Mercury knocked down 14 3-pointers, which helped propel the comeback.

The Mercury cut the lead to single digits with 2:55 left in the third quarter on a Sophie Cunningham 3-pointer and a Natasha Mack layup a few possessions later got Phoenix within five before Minnesota went on a mini run that got the lead back to 11. Natasha Cloud then hit a 3-pointer to end the quarter, which led to a Phoenix run in the fourth.

The Mercury took its first lead since it was 4-2 in the first quarter with 4:44 left to play on a Brittney Griner free throw. From there, the teams traded baskets in a high-scoring battle. It was an uncharacteristic game for the Lynx, who are second in the WNBA in scoring defense, allowing 75.6 points per game. They also lead the league field-goal percentage defense (41%) and 3-point defense (30.1%).

But Minnesota was able to secure the win with an 11-3 run in the last 1:49, thanks to a balanced attack. Myisha Hines-Allen, Napheesa Collier, Bridget Carleton and Kayla McBride all scored during the run.

Lynx share the ball

Eight players recorded a basket for Minnesota in the win. Collier led her team with 38 points, while Kayla McBride added 20. The duo had impressive scoring nights, but it was Minnesota’s passing that allowed it to defeat Phoenix. The Lynx constantly made the right passes and assisted on 30 of their 34 field goals. Seven players had at least three assists, while five players recorded four or more. Guard Courtney Williams led the charge with eight assists.

The Mercury, meanwhile, relied on more isolation ball, making 37 field goals, assisting on 19 of them.

Guard duos propel both teams

For the Lynx, Collier and McBride combined for more than half of their team’s points, finishing with 58. Collier’s 38 points were also a season high. The forward, who finished second in MVP voting this season, was 11-of-19 shooting and 13-of-14 from the free-throw line.

McBride continued her sharp-shooting ways — she’s making 40.7% of her long-range attempts this season — going 3-of-7 from the 3-point line, 5-of-11 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, Phoenix had its own high-scoring guard duo as Natasha Cloud put up 33 points and Diana Taurasi finished with 21. Cloud had an excellent night from beyond the arc, making 4-of-8 3-pointers, which is far better than her season average. She’s shooting 30.8% from 3-point range on the season.

Taurasi may be hanging it up after this season (though she’s yet to say for sure), but the 20-year veteran still has plenty of scoring to give. She also had an efficient night from long range, making 5-of-10 3-pointers. Together, she and Cloud combined for 54 of their team’s 95 points.