WNBA: Can the No.1-seed Liberty avoid a Game 3 in Atlanta?

The New York Liberty defeated the Atlanta Dream 83-69 on Sunday, kicking off a saturated playoff slate in dominant fashion. As the No. 1 seed, they stay in Brooklyn with a chance to close out the series on Tuesday, while the No. 8-seed Dream will wrestle to force a Game 3 in Atlanta.

The rookie tipping the scales

Predictions of a blowout were quickly validated on Sunday. Atlanta ended the first quarter down 13, never taking a lead. The deficit swelled to 22 in the second half. Leonie Fiebich, the German rookie on the shortlist for Sixth Player of the Year, made her postseason debut with a career-best 21 points. The rest of the box score read as expected. Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu combined for 37. Atlanta was lead by Rhyne Howard’s 14 points, coming at an uncomfortable 35-percent clip.

The Dream found scattered successes, but none will cut the sour taste of Sunday’s loss. They led the game in points in the paint, offensive rebounds, second-chance points, fastbreak points and points off turnovers. Their reserves kept pace; Ezinne Kalu, Haley Jones, Lorela Cubaj and Laeticia Amihere all looked competitive in limited minutes off the bench.

Kalu continues to be an inspiring story for international hoopers who have yet to debut in the W. The 32-year-old guard signed a hardship contract before the final game of the regular season after impressing in Olympic action with the Nigerian national team. Sunday was her second-ever WNBA game, and she led the Dream in plus/minus.

The Liberty probably played slightly below their own standards in the fourth quarter, but no sleep will be lost in the Big Apple. Flexing their depth took a load off the starters and promoted a brand of team-first basketball that they’ve mastered. The revenge tour is well underway.

One last Dream

The Dream will likely take Fiebich’s performance on the chin. Poor rotations left the rookie open for routine shots, but Atlanta can comfortably expect her to not repeat a 7-for-8 shooting night. However, they can’t ease up on the rest of the New York supporting cast.

Perhaps the hardest puzzle for Atlanta head coach Tanisha Wright to solve is that of the math. The Dream dominated the hustle categories on Sunday, but lost by double-digits. New York made five more 3-pointers, attempting 23 in comparison to Atlanta’s 16. Sparing an unprecedented rule change before Tuesday night’s tip-off, three will still be worth more than two.

Mirroring New York’s long distance obsession is out of the question, because Atlanta just doesn’t have the personnel. The Liberty enjoy an arsenal of shooters, while Atlanta has a sprinkling, at most. Spraying and praying from beyond the arc should be nothing but a last resort. Instead, they need to find ways to limit New York’s open the 3s—even if that means conceding a few open layups.

On the other side of the ball, Allisha Gray will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing afternoon. Gray averages 15.6 points on the year, but only pitched in nine in Game 1. If New York can keep Gray and Howard contained, they’ll happily leave the game in the hands of Atlanta’s supporting cast. Behind the big three of Ionescu, Stewart and Jonquel Jones, it’s hard to see a third matchup on the horizon.

Game information

No. 1-seed New York Liberty (1-0) vs. No. 8-seed Atlanta Dream (0-1)

When: Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY

How to watch: ESPN

Liberty injury report: none

Dream injury report: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (out; ankle). Aerial Powers (out; calf)