When Liberty coach Anne Donovan was asked if her team understands the urgency of its situation she said it was a good question for the players. Unfortunately some of them were not in the locker room to answer.
In a sure sign of a team in disarray, Cappie Pondexter and Nicole Powell, the Liberty’s two main offseason acquisitions, chose to remain in the trainer’s room rather than offer their insight into the squad’s latest loss, a jarring 75-68 setback to the Minnesota Lynx.
The third straight loss drops the Liberty to 4-7 on the season and into last place in the Eastern Conference.
“There’s a disconnect between our practice and our game performance,” said veteran Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who became the second player in WNBA history to record 2,500 rebounds.
Is there ever. Leading 34-32 at halftime, the Liberty fell asleep on Lynx star Seimone Augustus (20 points) and seized up on offense in the third quarter. Minnesota (5-9) outscored the Libs 24-11 in the quarter and seized a 59-45 lead early in the fourth.
The Liberty responded with a 17-3 run to tie the game at 62 with 4:31 left, but Minnesota — despite losing Candice Wiggins to a torn left Achilles tendon that will keep her out the remainder of the season — closed out the game on a 13-6 run.
“At times we have a great sense of urgency,” forward Janel McCarville said. “At other times we don’t.”
Despite the additions of Pondexter (16 points), Powell (16) and McWilliams-Franklin (13), the Liberty seem no better off than last season, when they also opened 4-7 and did not make the playoffs.
“This team is going to make the playoffs and we are going to get it together,” Donovan declared.
It would have been nice to know if her stars share the same confidence.