Carol Blazejowski is not in the business of issuing guarantees. But before the WNBA season started, the Liberty’s GM said another loss in the championship series would no longer be good enough. Now, more than midway through the season, Blaze is even more convinced that her team has what it takes to win it all.
“I think that we have all the assets,” Blazejowski said. “We have the leadership, the heart and desire, certainly the motivation after losing [in the championship series] the last two years. We have a solid starting five and a great bench. We have the offensive power, intelligence. All the ingredients that make for a champion.”
The Liberty (14-5) have been playing like a legitimate champion contender of late and it goes beyond the team’s three-game win streak and seven-game home streak. Blaze sees a team that is doing the subtle things that make for a champ.
For example, she’s watched Becky Hammon (thumb), Crystal Robinson (ankle), Vickie Johnson (hamstring) and Sue Wicks (hip) play through pain. In Wednesday night’s 67-53 win over the Seattle Storm, she saw power forward Tamika Whitmore jump to the defense of center Tari Phillips, who was floored by a blow to the forehead from Lauren Jackson.
“My second thought, after hoping that Tari was not hurt, was that this is a genuine team that likes and respects one another,” said Blaze. “They’re behind one another and they believe in one another.”
The Liberty have a chance to sweep a three-game homestand tonight when it takes on the Minnesota Lynx at the Garden. A win over the Linx (6-10) would give the Liberty their 14th win in their last 16 games. Six players have led the team in scoring at least once.
“When I was a player, I never thought about win streaks or any of that stuff,” said Blaze, an All-American at Montclair State. “I thought about the next game. That’s what this team is doing. That can take you a long way.”