The New York Liberty played 88 possessions of zone defense during the regular season. That accounted for about 3 percent of their possessions, essentially a statistical anomaly. The league’s third-best defense was built off man-to-man principles with hardly any deviation from its base. There was no real need for the Liberty to even practice in a zone.
Against the Connecticut Sun in Game 2, however, New York’s normal scheme wasn’t working. Tiffany Hayes was getting into the lane with ease with her dribble penetration, and the Liberty perimeter defenders were getting back-cut by the other Sun guards on the way to the rim. Connecticut scored 12 points at the basket in the first quarter, despite a significant size disadvantage, on the way to building a double-digit lead. The Liberty needed to find a way to keep the Sun out of the paint, and their only recourse was transforming a little-used wrinkle into their primary option.
Out of 77 total possessions in Game 2, New York played zone for 32 of them, good for 42 percent of the game. After the first 10 minutes, Connecticut shot 38 percent from the field and managed only 12 more points in the paint. By sealing off the most valuable real estate on the floor, the Liberty turned the tide of Tuesday’s game and evened up the WNBA…
