WNBA Liberty Defeat Storm

What started fast seldom seemed to slow down for the New York Liberty Tuesday in the comforts of their Madison Square Garden home.

They held visiting Seattle (5-2) to only six points in the first quarter, led by as many as 16, trailed only once (by one), and "weathered" the Storm, 77-63.

Liberty forward Shameka Christon led all scorers with 25 points, while also grabbing three defensive rebounds.

"I thought collectively as a team, we came out very aggressive," says the five-year veteran. "We played really good defense...Seattle is a really good team."

That Liberty (2-3) defense held off what looked like possibly another customary second half comeback by the Storm.

"We're a young team...we play really hard," says Liberty coach Pat Coyle. "I thought this was the first time all year we played four solid quarters."

Seattle's Early Struggles

While most on the Storm would prefer to forget about the aforementioned first quarter, they came back with 30 points in the second. Star forward Lauren Jackson finished with 19 points, having been on the court for 35:08 worth of the contest.

"We didn't put ourselves in a good position early, and unfortunately we couldn't get back into the game," says Jackson. "It was a learning experience for us, and we can't let it get us down."

Guard Sheryl Swoopes finished with 15 points and a game-high 9 rebounds. Fellow guard Sue Bird, hoping for a victorious trip home, contributed 10 points and 4 assists.

"It's always fun off the court," says Bird, the Syosset, Long Island native about seeing her mother and sister, going out to dinner with friends, and playing for all of them in person. "We're much better than this," she adds about the on-court event. "We still had a chance, but had to play catch-up and it didn't work."

Looking Ahead

All is not lost for the Storm. They head to Detroit Wednesday for a meeting with the defending eastern conference champion Shock. Jackson is looking forward to it, yet admits back-to-back games are difficult.

"I haven't felt like this in a long, long time...a bit tired, worn out," she admits. "I think we'll be fine; once we get into the flow of things."

For the Liberty, they remain at home to entertain more western conference guests. They host the Houston Comets Friday, and the Sacramento Monarchs Sunday.

"We've just got to build off of it," says Christon about Tuesday's win. "For us to come out and focus, and play hard for four quarters...that says a lot about this team."

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