Liberty take on the Fever in Bradenton

Late night woes. The New York Liberty sought to take down the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday night, but fell short as LA overpowered the young Liberty.

The opponent tonight will be the Indiana Fever. It's been a bumpy few years for the team, but they appear to be heading in the right direction. They had a rough go of it on Tuesday against the Las Vegas Aces as they lost by 19 points.

Where to follow the game

YES Network is the place to be. Tip off is after 6 PM.

Injuries

No Sabrina Ionescu.

Stephanie Mavunga is out due to a facial injury. 2019 All Star Game MVP Erica Wheeler hasn't played yet this season and won't be there tonight.

The game

Those turnovers get you every time. The Liberty lead the W and continued the trend by coughing it up 26 times on Tuesday. It's bad enough to be shorthanded. Even worse when you cough the ball up and burn possessions. With the talent gap they're facing, they have to maximize every scoring opportunity imaginable.

Teaira McCowan runs things on the inside for the Fever. McCowan is second in the league in offensive rebounding and it's helped her to shoot 52 percent from the field. On the other side, Amanda Zahui B is tied for third in defensive rebounding so it's going to make for a fun battle on the inside. Zahui B can draw McCowan away from the rim with her three point shooting and is a deft passer, so NY might have a good night at the rim if all goes well.

Jazmine Jones is making waves. The rook played a season high 26 minutes and scored a season high 24 points against the Sparks. Most of her buckets came by driving to the rim, and the Liberty desperately need another player that can penetrate opposing defenses and get to the rim. As Kia Nurse works her way back to full strength following her ankle injury, having Jones play well would alleviate some of the team's offensive tension.

Player to watch: Kelsey Mitchell

It's starting to come together for the former number two pick. Mitchell is third in the keague in scoring at 19.1 points a night and is doing it on a .465/.396/.897 shooting line. She's one of the league's bright young stars and someone that can lead Indy to their first playoff appearance since 2016. Connecticut Sun star Dewanna Bonner has more on Mitchell:

I actually love that she’s someone who has never seen a shot she doesn’t like, that she’s not scared of any shot. I love that confidence. All the great ones have that.

To me it’s one of the best mentalities you can have in the WNBA if you’re looking to ultimately become something special.

I missed a shot? So what. Let me shoot it again. Miss that one? I’m putting it up AGAIN.

She’s absolutely fearless. And she really does make some crazy shots.

It's that confidence that drives you to climb higher heights.

Layshia Clarendon will continue to run the show for the Liberty. They've been New York's most reliable option on offense and is averaging a career best 13 points a night on (a career high) 48.7 percent shooting. Due to not having Ionescu around to help with ballhandling responsibilities, they've turned it over a career high 29.6 percent of the time. As some of their responsibilities lessen and younger teammates gain more confidence, I envision that number to drop dramatically.

Jam session

Let's start the day with Lion Babe

• New York Liberty Game Notes - New York Liberty
• Indiana Fever Game Notes - Indiana Fever
• Fever-Liberty Preview - STATS/TSX