Fauthoux Scores 20 as Liberty Fall to Dream in Game 2

The New York Liberty suffered a 101-98 overtime defeat to the Atlanta Dream in Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, despite Marine Fauthoux's 20-point performance. The loss left New York trailing 2-0 in the best-of-five series, putting the team in a position no WNBA team has overcome to win a series.

Fauthoux came off the bench and shot 8-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. She also recorded six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 30 minutes and 50 seconds.

Her most significant shot came with 10.3 seconds remaining in regulation, when she connected on a 25-foot 3-pointer off a pass from Breanna Stewart to tie the game at 88-88. Atlanta had taken an 88-85 lead after Angel Reese converted two free throws with 14.5 seconds left.

Liberty coach Chris DeMarco credited the team's screen and Fauthoux's ability to perform under pressure for creating the tying opportunity.

"It was a double pin-down. There were two options for Stu, and she made the right play. We set a great screen, it was open, and she lives for big moments.

That's the type of player she is. She brought everything tonight, as did everybody," DeMarco said.

Fauthoux also delivered seven points in the third quarter. Her 25-foot bank shot with 6.2 seconds remaining capped a 7-0 New York run, cutting Atlanta's lead to 75-74 entering the fourth quarter.

She opened the scoring for New York in overtime with a 26-foot pull-up 3-pointer at the 3:13 mark, bringing the score to 93-91. However, DeWanna Bonner later stole her pass with 1:02 remaining, setting up Reese's basket for a 97-96 Atlanta advantage.

Fauthoux fouled out with 4.3 seconds left after committing her sixth foul. New York trailed 99-98 when Sabrina Ionescu's pass went out of bounds, and Reese subsequently made two free throws to help secure Atlanta's victory.

Ionescu finished with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting and seven assists, while making two of six free throws. DeMarco said Atlanta adjusted its defensive coverage after Ionescu scored 27 points in the Dream's 92-82 Game 1 victory on Sunday.

"She was playing hard, and the game gives you different things. In Game 1 she had a lot of great looks. In Game 2 they changed their coverages and she had to make the right plays. I thought she played really well tonight," DeMarco said.

Stewart led New York with 35 points and 11 rebounds. Jonquel Jones added 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and eight rebounds, but committed six turnovers.

The Liberty shot 54.7% from the field but committed 17 turnovers, which Atlanta converted into 28 points. New York was called for 25 fouls compared with 18 for the Dream, and the teams combined for 29 fouls in the first half.

Despite the deficit, DeMarco maintained that New York had opportunities to win the game and remained confident in the team's ability to continue competing in the series.

"These games have felt like that throughout the year. I don't know what to tell you. Our players do a great job of playing the game the way it's supposed to be played, and then it's up to the officials. As far as our team goes, we came with the right mindset and were physical," DeMarco said.

He also pointed to missed rebounds and Atlanta's late basket as factors in the result, while emphasizing that the series remained undecided.

"We had our chances. They hit a layup, we missed a few rebounds, but the series is not over. We believe in ourselves and in this team going forward," DeMarco said.

New York reached the semifinals as the No. 8 seed after sweeping the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round. The Liberty also overcame an 0-2 deficit against the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 semifinals, winning that series 3-1.

Stewart said the team would concentrate on its next game rather than the challenge of winning three consecutive games. The Liberty will host Game 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

"We're not focused on winning three games straight right now. We're focused on winning one game, and that's Friday, and then we go from there. This group has experience. I've been part of some crazy series and I have a lot of confidence in our group," Stewart said.

Game 4, if necessary, is scheduled for Sunday in Brooklyn. Atlanta enters the next game needing one more victory to advance, while New York must win to extend the series.