Breanna Stewart had a slow start in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. After a scoreless first quarter, Stewart finally got on the scoreboard by hitting a couple of shots in the second quarter. While making a few buckets was crucial, the disparity between the number of shots Stewart took and the ones she made was concerning.
She only converted two of her eight attempts, a significant drop from her previous shooting performance. At halftime, the Minnesota Lynx held a narrow 46-45 lead. Although New York Liberty fans felt a bit relieved at the time, they were surely hoping Stewart would heat up in the second half.
Otherwise, they were left counting on Sabrina Ionescu to catch fire instead. Come the second half, Breanna Stewart struggled to catch any kind of momentum. She only bagged three more buckets, totaling her points to 11. Thankfully, she was able to contribute to her team in the paint and on defense. Stewart concluded the game with 11 rebounds, three steals, and one block.
Unfortunately, her efforts weren’t enough to help the Liberty to come up with the championship victory. While Leonie Fiebich (19 points) and Jonquel Jones (21 points) did their best to try and win the game, New York fell short as Minnesota secured a narrow 82-80 Game 4 victory.
Should Breanna Stewart's shortcomings concern Liberty fans?
In Game 3, Breanna Stewart caught fire after putting up a huge double-double outing with 30 points and 11 rebounds. She also shot an efficient 45% from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line. Her scorching hot performance helped the New York Liberty secure an 80-77 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
However, given the underwhelming performance she put up in Game 4 in terms of scoring, one might wonder if Liberty fans should be worried about the decision-making game on Sunday. To address that concern, we feel like fans shouldn’t worry too much.
While Stewart’s scoring numbers in Game 4 weren’t up to par with Game 3’s performance, she did well by providing other aspects her teammates couldn’t give. Breanna led her team in rebounding and steals.
Being able to secure the paint while snatching the ball will lead to multiple scoring opportunities for her team. For as long as Breanna Stewart continues to hustle for the ball in the final game, New York will have nothing to worry about. If anything, her other teammates also need to shift gears and step up to the occasion.