It’s time for another episode of the Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast. This episode features host Howard Megdal and The Next‘s New York Liberty beat reporter Jackie Powell is here to discuss the most important playoff game in recent Liberty history.
Jackie talks about the difference in covering the Liberty in 2020 and now in 2022:
“It’s like night and day, Howard. And although the first frame of reference you bring up is the 2020 season. I remember my first year on the beat when we were at the Westchester County Center. And you could only fit less than 2,000 people. And it was a completely different roster, a different energy and a different coach. Well, we’re now on our second head coach since Katie Smith. And what this means to me is it’s you’re watching a franchise grow, watching it develop and watching it change. And that’s what I’ve been able to do in these past years.”
Jackie talks about the Liberty’s first game against the Sky:
“I mean, my analysis and my perspective is it’s one of the most important wins in franchise history. I just don’t see how you could look at it any other way. I asked Sandy Brondello about that. I’ve even been comparing the Marine Johannès pass, which I am now calling The pass. Yeah, sort of Teresa Weatherspoon‘s The shot. I know a lot of people are going to be like, How dare you compare some Marine Johannès pass to Teresa Weatherspoon? But I think there are some similarities between those two unions.
I mean, it completely silenced the Sky. It silenced the entire arena. It also was pretty exemplary of how the Liberty were able to read the Sky’s defense. Really, it was an example of how Marine Johannès was able to outsmart the overhelping or the trapping or hedging. I believe it was Candace Parker. And I think it was Azurá Stevens.”
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