In CBS Sports’ first national television broadcast of the 2023 WNBA season, the new-look New York Liberty used an impressive second-half turnaround to pull away from the previously undefeated Connecticut Sun for an 81-65 victory. After losing their first game together, the Liberty have now won two in a row and are starting to show glimpses of why they were proclaimed a superteam.
During the winter, the Liberty made headlines with one of the most stunning offseasons of all time. In the span of a few weeks, they added Breanna Stewart (2018 MVP), Jonquel Jones (2021 MVP) and Courtney Vandersloot (active all-time assists leader) to a squad that already boasted Sabrina Ionescu (only player ever to have 500 points, 200 rebounds and 200 assists in a season).
The amount of offensive talent on the roster is staggering, and that’s where most of the initial analysis focused. Through the first week of the season, though, they’ve shown that they’re not just looking to outscore teams. They rank third in the league in defensive rating at 90.8 points allowed per 100 possessions, third in opponent field goal percentage (38.8), fourth in opponent field goal percentage at the rim (56.7) and second in free throws allowed…
