August 20, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Why is New York basketball full of energy?
By The Next
All things New York basketball, from the Liberty to incoming high school recruits
On today’s episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Gigi Speer is joined by class of 2025 recruit and New Heights NYC point guard Grace Lanier. They discuss the New York Liberty and their 24-4 season, how the energy around New York basketball has been growing, and the next generation of women’s basketball players coming up in that environment.
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First, Speer checked in from the Liberty’s Wednesday night 94-74 win over the Dallas Wings, specifically discussing how the Liberty have held on to their stellar record.
“Put yourself in the shoes, if you can, of a New York Liberty player,” Speer said. “… They’re a great team, and a lot of people were asking them pregame, how do you avoid complacency? Well, … the job’s not finished. If you’ve ever played, you’ve ever hooped, you know we’re at a point in the season where we’re refining. We know individually who we are, what our identity is as individuals. We figured out pretty much a team identity, but now we have to figure out how to win, how to string together wins, how to be comfortable making in-game adjustments. And I think that’s something that Breanna Stewart even talked about pregame. Someone asked about the complacency, and she said, ‘What have we proven? Yeah, we have this record. But you know, sometimes when you’re up and you’re leading the league, it could actually make things just a little bit more dangerous for you, because you have a target on your back.'”
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Then, Speer spoke with Lanier about different aspects of her basketball career so far. Lanier, who is a 5’5 guard out of Xaverian High, was her school’s first female athlete to eclipse 1000 career points.
“I know my height is definitely not the greatest or the most ideal for a basketball player,” Lanier said. “So I kind of just use that to my advantage, and just using my height versus going in the paint, being able to use my quickness to get in the paint and stop and rise up over tall defenders.”
“You definitely have to be smart to be a point guard, because you’re basically the coach on the floor, which everyone likes to say,” she continued. “And it’s also a grace, but there’s also downsides. A lot of coaches say, whatever happens on the court falls on the point guard …”
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Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
As for what makes New York the such a fun basketball city? “Definitely the energy. New York always brings the energy,” Lanier said. “… [it’s] a staple of basketball. It’s also known for street ball, which I was had the pleasure of playing in. I just think New York always brings the energy. New York fans are always die hard, even with the Knicks and with Liberty. New York fans are just the best.”
Tune in to hear more about Lanier’s experience playing basketball in New York and more about the Liberty’s stellar season so far. Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history and much more!
