NEW YORK -- The New York Liberty hadn't played their best basketball on Saturday night entering halftime of their Commissioner's Cup Game versus the Indiana Fever. Down 40-37, they were shooting below 40%, including making just 2 of 14 3-point attempts.
Two-time MVP Breanna Stewart's message to her team at that moment was fairly straightforward: Wake up, stop going through the motions on the court. And when it comes missing shots?
"F--- it."
"Listen, we didn't shoot the ball well. F--- it, honestly," said Stewart, whose 30 points helped the Liberty secure the 83-75 win. "We want to win games whether they're pretty or they're ugly, and that's what's going to be the separator down the line, is who can get the win when things aren't going your way, when things aren't going well, and we continue to fight back."
New York has now won four games in a row after losing three straight to begin its seven-game homestand. Indiana, meanwhile, has dropped three of its past four.
Even after halftime it took New York some time to change the tide Saturday, as it fell behind by 57-45 late in the third. But it became the aggressors on both ends of the floor to outscore the Fever 38-18 in the final 12 minutes of the game.
"I think the defense really created a momentum shift for us," said Satou Sabally, who finished with 13 points off the bench. "And we really have to start the game out like that."
The Liberty's shooting woes persisted -- they ultimately finished with a 36% clip from the floor and didn't make a 3-pointer for the final three quarters. But when they weren't getting stops or forcing turnovers on the other end -- the Fever coughed it up 11 times in the second half alone -- Stewart in particular found ways to generate points, taking 15 trips to the free throw line in the fourth quarter and 21 in all.
"Sometimes you just have to manufacturer some aggressiveness and energy," Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said, "and I thought we found a way to do that late third."
The Fever shot 15 free throws all of Saturday, while the Liberty took 40 total.
"We fouled," said Indiana's Caitlin Clark, who finished with 10 points and nine assists. "Honestly, we guarded Stewie pretty well, and we guarded them pretty well from the 3-point line. It's just when you give somebody 21 free throws, it makes things really difficult."
Indiana was paced by 21 points from Kelsey Mitchell and 15 from Monique Billings.
The turnaround marked the Liberty's largest comeback win of the season as well as Indiana's second-largest blown lead.
"It's massive for us," DeMarco said of his team's ability to win ugly. "It builds character, and it's a game we might not have won early in the season."
New York improves to 2-0 in Commissioner's Cup play while Indiana falls to 1-1.