Veteran intangibles bring Liberty into playoffs on highest of highs

By Andy Lipton
Special To Daly Dose Of Hoops

The past four weeks in August have yielded success for the New York Liberty. 

Ten wins in a row, four against the top teams in the league: Minnesota, Los Angeles, Connecticut, and Washington, taking its 12-12 record to 22-12 by the end of the regular season on September 3 and the third seed in the upcoming playoffs.

With apologies to Earth, Wind & Fire, will the Liberty be dancing in September?

If so, one of the reasons will be nine-year WNBA veteran Shavonte Zellous, who is the only Liberty player beside Tina Charles to start every game this season. She is the team’s second-leading scorer. At 5-foot-10, the former Pitt star has played small forward most of the year, doing what is necessary to help her team.

The lyrics of the great and legendary coach and general manager Red Auerbach might apply to Zellous. Speaking about the Celtics’ dynasty, Auerbach said, “our pride was never rooted in statistics."

Zellous brings more than just basketball ability and athleticism to the game – she is team-first, spirited and enthusiastic, and a vocal leader on the court. She also brings the experience of having won championships in her career, in the WNBA, the EuroLeague, and high school.

I spoke to Zellous about these intangibles on the last day of August at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility.