Trying to fight off an injury bug and a tough week where they played four games in seven days, the Liberty have turned to forward Vickie Johnson and reserve center Tamika Whitmore.
Johnson, a Louisiana Tech graduate in her fourth season, is averaging slightly over 13 points and six rebounds per game. She has carried the Liberty in each of the last two games, including scoring a season-high 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a victory at Detroit on Wednesday.
Johnson has also been very durable, starting all five of the Liberty’s games and logging more than 32 minutes per contest. The team is 2-3.
“She is the most complete player we have,” coach Richie Adubato said of Johnson. “She usually steps up big when we need her, and lately she has been hitting real clutch shots. She has been responsible for us winning games this year so far.”
“With Crystal [Robinson] out, she has come through when we needed her the most.”
Adubato is also pleased with how Johnson has been playing on the other side of the ball.
“She is playing with such intensity on the court, playing tenacious defense all the time,” Adubato said. “She is a real competitor.”
Whitmore, a second-year center out of Memphis, is scoring 10 points a game off the bench. Her 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame also helps clog up the middle and aids in the Liberty’s post defense.
Adubato put Whitmore’s role into perspective before last night’s game with the Sacramento Monarchs (1-3) at Madison Square Garden.
“She is still one of our go-to players this year,” Adubato said. “But she is only playing 20 minutes opposed to the 30 she played last year.
“She needs to get into a little better game shape so we can use her more. But she is still playing very well for us on a whole.”