Key Adjustments for Minnesota in Critical Game Analysis

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00:00So, what adjustments do you think Minnesota has to make here?

00:06Because it's not like we haven't seen a defensively sound game yet.

00:09They were kind of talked about as one of the most defensively better teams out there, and

00:13we haven't particularly seen all of that quite yet, or are the Liberty just outplaying them

00:17at this point?

00:18You know what's the amazing thing about this, Casey?

00:21If you really think about the last two games for the Liberty, right?

00:25Games number two and three, yes, and then we'll get to Sabu and their performance late

00:29in the game, but it was Benazelini-Hamilton with 20 points in game number two, when she

00:35had not scored never more than, I think, 10 points in a playoff game, and then it's Leona

00:41Fibich, who had a big game in game number three.

00:45So it's one of those things where the ancillary players from New York are giving a big list.

00:52So if you were Cheryl Reed, do you go back to the well again and say, OK, I got to try

00:58and contain Stewie and Sabu early on.

01:02So to me, I still think if you're the Liberty, you lean on some of the ancillary players,

01:08Leona Fibich, in her play, especially the fact that she may be a rookie.

01:11She's 24 years old, Casey, so this is not some kid who just came off the street to play.

01:16This lady's been playing ball at a high level for a long time.

01:19So I look at Fibich for 10 plus points.

01:21I look for Sabu to get those two and a half and eight threes, because I think those last

01:24two threes were huge, and maybe our confidence gets unlocked.

01:29Jon-Qual Jones is always the X Factor with the Liberty.

01:32I think this is going to be a really good game.

01:34I'm going to go on the flip side here.

01:37If this game starts off in the way I think it's going to be, which is really close to

01:43the best, if they don't move that total, you may want to look under, because you're going

01:48to want to slow this game down, and all the stars, Casey, are going to play big minutes.

01:55Remember, only one day in these two games.

01:58So look for big minutes out of the stars.

02:00Big stars for both teams.

02:01I think they played all 35 minutes, plus a lot of minutes for the stars tonight.

02:06Oh, I love that perspective.

02:08And that's definitely something that I was building up to when I was asking, where do

02:10we go with this total?

02:11Because sometimes you just have to steer clear of it, because like you mentioned, in games

02:14like this, it can just be any card that's pulled on the night.

02:18But both teams are going to need their stars to come through, and we've seen how both teams

02:21have performed when Collier doesn't get her numbers, and Stewart doesn't get her numbers,

02:25and INSQ comes out early due to injury.

02:27So it's going to be massive for these teams to have their stars show up tonight and be

02:31able to contribute the points, the rebounds, and the assists that we are so used to seeing.