WNBA awards: New York Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer named WNBA Coach of the Month for August

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT- AUGUST 18: New York Liberty head coach Bill Laimbeer talks to his players during a time out during the Connecticut Sun Vs New York Liberty, WNBA regular season game at Mohegan Sun Arena on August 18, 2017 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT- AUGUST 18: New York Liberty head coach Bill Laimbeer talks to his players during a time out during the Connecticut Sun Vs New York Liberty, WNBA regular season game at Mohegan Sun Arena on August 18, 2017 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

With the New York Liberty riding a franchise-best-tying 10-game winning streak into the playoffs, Bill Laimbeer took home the final Coach of the Month award for the regular season. The Liberty head coach guided New York to a 10-2 record for game played between Aug. 1 and Sept. 3, and as a result, New York has earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

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The Liberty’s 22-12 overall regular season record was also the best in the Eastern Conference.

Not only did Laimbeer and the Liberty end the month on a massive winning streak, they did so against the WNBA’s top teams. New York took down both the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks — the two best teams in the league — as well as the Connecticut Sun, who finished right behind the Liberty in the standings.

In August, New York committed just 11.8 turnovers per game and held opponents to 39.8 percent shooting from three, which were both league-bests.

Sparks coach Brian Agler, who won the award in June, was the other nominee for Coach of the Month.

The Liberty will open the playoffs with a single-elimination game on Sunday at home against the lowest remaining seed. That game will tip off at 5 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN2.