Little by little, people are finding out what Vickie Johnson has known since the beginning of training camp.
“Grace Daley is good,” said Johnson, the Liberty guard who was named to her second WNBA All-Star Game. “She hasn’t gotten much of a chance to prove it in games yet, but I’ve seen it enough.”
Johnson has seen the 23-year-old Daley blow by her in practice.
“It’s amazing,” said Johnson, who was suited up but questionable for last night’s game at the Garden against the Seattle Storm (8-10). The 13-5 Liberty entered in a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with Cleveland. “I think that I’m pretty quick and I still have a hard time keeping up with her. Grace is full of energy that doesn’t quit.”
Johnson’s right, she is pretty fast, but she admitted that even cheating doesn’t always allow her to stop Daley, a second-year player out of Tulane who scored seven points (on 3-for-3 shooting) in the Liberty’s 72-65 win over Indiana at home Monday. She played for Minnesota last year.
“In practice, I guard her and I know the plays that we are running,” Johnson said. “I don’t do it all the time, but once in a while you anticipate where the play is going. You try not to do it, but sometimes it just happens. Well, even when I do that, she still beats me to the spot most of the time.”
While Daley has struggled to get playing time – her 11 minutes Monday were the most she’s had all season – she usually makes them count.
“She always brings a bunch of energy off the bench,” head coach Richie Adubato said. “It was good to see her contribute some offense, too. We might need it.”
With both Johnson (strained right hamstring) and Crystal Robinson (sprained right ankle) hampered likely until Monday’s All-Star Game in Orlando, the Liberty’s bench will be tested. It passed the first one against the Fever and no one was more integral to that than Daley.
“You just want to get the opportunity,” Daley said. “I don’t like getting it because other people are hurt, but I have to prove myself to my teammates. They have done such a good job and the last thing I want to do is get in there and hurt the team.”
No one else is too concerned.
“Until everyone goes out there and does a good job, you have some doubts,” said Becky Hammon. “But we’ve seen the bench play really well in practice and we have confidence.”