Liberty 93 – Mystics 81
After the Liberty’s 93-81 season-finale victory over the Mystics yesterday, Becky Hammon gave the enthusiastic, but sparse, Madison Square Garden crowd what appeared to be – at least to them – the ultimate going away present.
Sweaty, game-worn sneakers.
The Liberty finished the season a disappointing 11-23, but the announced crowd of 11,907 didn’t seem to mind. Following the victory, the Liberty thanked the crowd by having 13 fans come down to midcourt and accept a Liberty uniform from a player. Then Hammon, who finished with 21 points and six-assists yesterday, took over.
She ended the festivities by removing her Liberty seafoam green, white, blue and orange No. 25 Nikes. She walked to the courtside seats as the fans begged for her shoes as if they were made of gold. She fired one near the Liberty’s bench before flipping the other to the opposite stands.
For good measure, Hammon even hurled one of her just-worn sweatbands into the stands.
“I thought it was such a great way to end the season on a win in front of this kind of crowd,” Hammon said. “It is something to give back.”
Hammon led the Liberty, along with Catherine Kraayeveld and Shameka Christon, who both had a team-high 22.
After losing a franchise-record 11-straight games, the Liberty finished strong, winning seven of their final 10.
“I’m proud they didn’t quit,” Liberty coach Pat Coyle said.
Still, the interest in the team diminished to the point that yesterday’s game was dropped by ABC and wasn’t even picked up by the Garden’s own network, MSG.
Yesterday, the Liberty went into the locker room at halftime up 42-41, thanks to 13 points from Kraayeveld. The Liberty then controlled the second half.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, Hammon drove the lane before stopping and delivering a no-look pass to Kraayeveld underneath. Kraayeveld missed the lay-up, but followed with a rebound and put back, and was fouled. After Kraayeveld sank the free throw, the Liberty was up 10, 83-73, and never looked back.
In the end, the Liberty were disappointed in their season, but the fans at the Garden yesterday seemed satisfied. A lucky few even walked away with some sweaty shoes and a sweatband.
“You just want to go out on positive note,” Hammon said.
