WNBA news: New York Liberty defeat Dallas Wings, Katie Smith’s first victory

Skylar Diggins-Smith came to the County Center sharp shooting right from the jump. In the first quarter, she was four-for-five from the three-point line; every one of her field goal attempts was from the perimeter, giving her a quick 12 points.

Diggins-Smith was not the only one showcasing range; the Wings took 12 three-point attempts in the first quarter, completing seven, resulting in 62.5 percent from outside, while the Liberty didn’t take one shot from beyond the arc in the first quarter.

Dallas’s 62.5 percent shooting overall was a direct result of the Liberty not locking down on the perimeter. Cambage’s 6’8 presence drew attention down low and it took some time for the Liberty to adjust to the other Dallas shooters set up on the exterior.

After restructuring the defense to cool the hot hand of Diggins-Smith, she was held to only four points in the span of the following two quarters.

“We just locked down on our defense,” Liberty forward Tina Charles told High Post Hoops following the game. Improvement for the home team came upon the decision to not give Dallas’ shooters any more easy opportunities.

Moreover, trading threes for twos is not the key to success, especially when shooting just around 38 percent.   “They were making threes and we were coming down trying to make twos,” Charles said.

As the defense intensified, Dallas experienced some confusion.  The Liberty capitalized off of Dallas turnovers in the fourth. They gained confidence. “I think [the Liberty] felt comfortable in the fourth quarter,” Karima Christmas-Kelly said.

Last week, head coach Katie Smith told her team to “take the shot you want,” and down the stretch, that’s exactly what happened. Charles scored 24 points in the second half alone. Zellous confidently shot the trey that pretty much finished the game, totalling 19 points.