Liberty Reserve Sparks Rotation Questions for Coach Brondello

The start was flat, as Golden State packed the paint and doubled, forcing the Liberty to rely on Natasha Cloud to carry the scoring load. Ten first-half turnovers turned into 16 points for Golden State, digging an early hole. By the third quarter, the Valkyries led by as many as 24.

That’s when Sandy Brondello reached for something different. She called Bek Gardner’s number.

“I just went in, I just tried to bring energy, whether it was on the offensive or defensive side, and be aggressive,” Gardner said. “I felt like by pressing the ball, it just brought some aggressiveness and kind of picked up the energy. And I feel like the team as a whole picked up their level too, and we were able to carry that out for the rest of the half.”

The veteran guard, averaging just 11.8 minutes per game this season, immediately picked up full court and forced the Valkyries to work for every possession. Her ball pressure sparked stops, those stops became transition buckets, and the Liberty closed the third quarter on a surge that cut the deficit to 12.

Brondello saw it too and spoke about what changed when Gardner was inserted.

“A lot... I think everything that she just spoke about,” Brondello said. “We were able to get Tash [Natasha Cloud] guarding the wings, and Bek’s a great press-up player in the backcourt. She just played really hard... she’s such a mover on offense... but defensively first. Teammates trusted her. And on the offensive end, she’ll do her job there, and we want her to be aggressive.”

Gardner didn’t score, but she finished as the only Liberty player with a positive plus/minus - she finished +16 in just 15 minutes of play. It was the kind of performance that forces a coach to think about her rotation.

With Kayla Thornton gone to Golden State, New York has lacked a true “glue player,” someone to provide gritty perimeter defense and spot shooting. Gardner has the profile: she’s hitting 44.4% of her threes this season, even if her opportunities have been limited, and she showed against Golden State that her defensive energy alone can swing momentum.

As Brondello looks toward the playoffs, the question is simple: Does Gardner deserve a bigger role? Pairing her with Natasha Cloud in the backcourt could give New York the kind of defensive edge it desperately needs. Wednesday’s performance may have been a signal to Brondello that this needs to change.

“She showed a lot tonight,” Brondello said. “And I think that’s good information for us as we move forward. We tried some big lineups, but I think our smaller lineup worked better for us.”

Gardner, meanwhile, believes she fits naturally alongside Cloud in the backcourt - and could give New York’s defense a different gear.

“Tash obviously is a great defender as well,” Gardner said. “We’re just able to put more pressure on the offense, and I feel comfortable pressing up when I know I have a great defender like Tash. Even Stewie and Leo, everybody was up, but yeah, Tash specifically makes it easier on my part knowing that she’s behind me being aggressive as well.”

The Liberty have already secured a postseason berth, but their seeding is still unsettled. If Gardner’s spark in the Bay is any indication, she may be more than just an emergency option - she may be the rotation piece New York didn’t know it needed.