2004 New York Liberty season
The 2004 WNBA season was the eighth season for the New York Liberty.
| 2004 New York Liberty season | |
|---|---|
| Coach | Richie Adubato Pat Coyle (interim) |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall (6 games) |
| Attendance | 9,886 per game |
| Results | |
| Record | 18–16 (.529) |
| Place | 2nd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Lost Conference Finals (2-0) to Connecticut Sun |
Dispersal Draft
Based on the Liberty's 2003 record, they would pick 4th in the Cleveland Rockers dispersal draft. The Liberty picked Ann Wauters.
WNBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Shameka Christon (G/F) |  | Arkansas |
| 2 | 17 | Amisha Carter (C) | | Louisiana Tech |
| 3 | 30 | Cathy Joens (G) | | George Washington |
Regular season
Heading into its eighth WNBA season, the club acquired veteran Ann Wauters in the dispersal draft and Shameka Christon in the college draft. The Liberty opened the season with a 6-1 record. Despite the strong start, Pat Coyle replaced Richie Adubato as head coach. Under Coyle’s guidance, the team registered an 11-6 mark and secured their sixth playoff appearance.
There were injuries to starters Ann Wauters and Tari Phillips. The Liberty played to a sellout crowd for six games at the historic Radio City Music Hall.[1] At Radio City Music Hall, the Liberty posted a 5-1 record. The reason for the relocation was that Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention. In addition, the Liberty hosted another unique game: The Game at Radio City, which featured the USA Women’s Olympic team vs. a WNBA Select Team.[1]
Season standings
| Eastern Conference | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Sun x | 18 | 16 | .529 | – | 10–7 | 8–9 | 14–6 |
| New York Liberty x | 18 | 16 | .529 | – | 11–6 | 7–10 | 10–10 |
| Detroit Shock x | 17 | 17 | .500 | 1.0 | 8–9 | 9–8 | 11–9 |
| Washington Mystics x | 17 | 17 | .500 | 1.0 | 11–6 | 6–11 | 9–11 |
| Charlotte Sting o | 16 | 18 | .471 | 2.0 | 10–7 | 6–11 | 8–12 |
| Indiana Fever o | 15 | 19 | .441 | 3.0 | 10–7 | 5–12 | 8–12 |
Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21 | @ Indiana | 67-69 | Loss | 0-1 |
| May 23 | Houston | 68-62 | Win | 1-1 |
| May 26 | Detroit | 64-52 | Win | 2-1 |
| May 30 | @ Minnesota | 68-64 | Win | 3-1 |
| June 1 | @ Charlotte | 63-53 | Win | 4-1 |
| June 3 | @ Houston | 71-62 | Win | 5-1 |
| June 5 | @ San Antonio | 62-57 | Win | 6-1 |
| June 11 | Indiana | 68-72 | Loss | 6-2 |
| June 13 | @ Washington | 60-62 | Loss | 6-3 |
| June 15 | Seattle | 62-86 | Loss | 6-4 |
| June 19 | @ Indiana | 65-70 | Loss | 6-5 |
| June 22 | Los Angeles | 49-65 | Loss | 6-6 |
| June 24 | @ Phoenix | 60-72 | Loss | 6-7 |
| June 26 | @ Seattle | 67-62 | Win | 7-7 |
| June 29 | @ Los Angeles | 65-69 | Loss | 7-8 |
| July 1 | @ Sacramento | 47-73 | Loss | 7-9 |
| July 6 | Sacramento | 73-66 | Win | 8-9 |
| July 8 | Washington | 54-71 | Loss | 8-10 |
| July 11 | Phoenix | 77-69 | Win | 9-10 |
| July 15 | Minnesota | 66-69 | Loss | 9-11 |
| July 18 | Charlotte | 75-58 | Win | 10-11 |
| July 20 | @ Charlotte | 80-74 | Win | 11-11 |
| July 24 | Detroit* | 78-69 | Win | 12-11 |
| July 30 | @ Detroit | 79-88 | Loss | 12-12 |
| July 31 | Connecticut* | 80-66 | Win | 13-12 |
| September 2 | Charlotte* | 56-52 | Win | 14-12 |
| September 3 | @ Connecticut | 43-61 | Loss | 14-13 |
| September 9 | @ Washington | 59-71 | Loss | 14-14 |
| September 10 | Connecticut* | 66-77 | Loss | 14-15 |
| September 12 | San Antonio* | 64-62 | Win | 15-15 |
| September 14 | @ Detroit | 71-82 | Loss | 15-16 |
| September 16 | Indiana* | 77-71 | Win | 16-16 |
| September 17 | @ Connecticut | 69-66 | Win | 17-16 |
| September 19 | Washington | 79-75 | Win | 18-16 |
- All six home games held between July 24 and September 16 were held at the Radio City Music Hall, due to the Garden being used for the Republican National Convention.
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points
| Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becky Hammon | 34 | 118 | 150 | 58 | 2 | 460 |
| Elena Baranova | 34 | 246 | 67 | 37 | 58 | 394 |
| Crystal Robinson | 28 | 83 | 58 | 24 | 8 | 339 |
| Vickie Johnson | 34 | 121 | 124 | 25 | 4 | 321 |
| Shameka Christon | 33 | 68 | 23 | 9 | 9 | 191 |
| Bethany Donaphin | 26 | 71 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 131 |
| La'Keshia Frett | 16 | 40 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 102 |
| Tari Phillips | 13 | 70 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 87 |
| Ann Wauters | 13 | 40 | 21 | 4 | 8 | 82 |
| DeTrina White | 31 | 118 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 82 |
| Erin Thorn | 17 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 34 |
| K.B. Sharp | 30 | 21 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 29 |
Playoffs
| Game | Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record |
| Eastern Conference Semifinals | |||||
| 1 | September 24 | @ Detroit | 75-62 | Win | 1-0 |
| 2 | September 26 | Detroit | 66-76 | Loss | 1-1 |
| 3 | September 28 | Detroit | 66-64 | Win | 2-1 |
| Eastern Conference Finals | |||||
| 1 | October 1 | Connecticut | 51-61 | Loss | 2-2 |
| 2 | October 3 | @ Connecticut | 57-60 | Loss | 2-3 |