The surging New York Liberty will face Indiana on Tuesday night in a marquee WNBA matchup after the league rescinded a technical foul against Caitlin Clark that would have kept her out of the game.
The Liberty have won four straight games and seven of their last eight thanks to strong play from their top three players Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu. The trio has been taking turns leading the Liberty during their recent hot streak that's bumped them up to seventh place in the standings – just two games behind third-place Las Vegas.
New York's 40-point win over the defending champion Aces on Sunday was a testament to the team's growing strength. "It doesn't matter who's playing on the other side, we understand we needed to win," Ionescu said. "It doesn't matter, we wanted to go out. We wanted to execute, we wanted to play our brand of basketball, knowing every game is important and this game isn't going to have an asterisk by it because those players didn't play. It's going to show up as a win or a loss."
Meanwhile, the Liberty are looking to get some revenge against Indiana, who beat them by 20 just before their current hot streak. The Fever will be at full strength after the league rescinded the technical foul against Caitlin Clark, who picked up her eighth technical of the season on Saturday.
Minnesota held onto the top spot in the power poll this week, although the Lynx weren't unanimous. No. 2 Golden State received two votes and third-ranked Washington got one. The rankings are a reflection of the league's competitive balance, with several teams vying for the top spot.
In other news, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a memo to all the teams that there will be a meeting this week to continue discussions around transgender athletes in women's basketball. The topic will be discussed further by a task force of team presidents and general managers at a previously scheduled meeting next week.
Kayla McBride had a record-setting game Sunday, scoring a career-high 43 points and hitting a league-best 10 3-pointers in a win over Dallas. "Minneapolis has become home for me and I want to give my best," she said. "Whether the ball goes in or doesn't, I just feel so much love. I think that's why I can come out here and do my thing. I feel so loved and appreciated for who I am and I just love the game. I want to win. So I'm grateful for these fans, this organization. I'm just overcome with joy, and when I have opportunities like that I want to give it back."
Shakira Austin of Washington was the AP player of the week for the second consecutive week. The forward averaged 22.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks to help the Mystics win all three of their games last week.
The stage is set for a thrilling matchup between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night. The Liberty will look to continue their winning streak and get some revenge against a Fever team that will be at full strength after the league rescinded the technical foul against Caitlin Clark.
Source: Yahoo Sports