Swin Cash Hoping To Provide Valuable Minutes For Liberty Down The Stretch

Swin Cash (John Jones – Double G Media)

Its been a topsy-turvy year for Swin Cash, a three-time WNBA champion and certain Hall-of-Famer. It’s safe to say as she prepared for life after basketball that it suddenly appeared that we would not see Cash go for the “ride into the sunset” title to cap her career. She was waived earlier this year. It seemed over. But two weeks later she was restored to the roster.

This may have prompted Swin to announce that this would indeed be her final season before retirement. It seemed to improve her play as she looked quicker to the basket and her natural leadership position contributed to the Liberty hitting their stride after a slow start. “Well, she ‘turned back the clock,'” Liberty Head Coach Bill Laimbeer pointed out.

Now, the latest challenge has been the emergence of the bench. The Liberty (18-7) starters, especially Cash has seen more time handed to the super-subs. The depth of the team is a major positive but it has left Cash to be taken out of games quicker if ineffective.

But it was the game against the Sun that showed that fire still remains as Cash broke out scoring a season high 16 points to help contribute to a key fourth quarter run to maintain their winning streak over Connecticut which reached eight. “I don’t want to get too far ahead,” Cash explained, “I want to stay in the moment, and not worry about the end.”

It’s good that Cash has maintained that perspective. How Cash handles this latest obstacle will determine her role in the stretch run of this season. The Liberty need Cash to show the way but at the same time they need a Cash who can get on the scoreboard or help others to do the same.

Yet, with that Sunday performance, Cash opened some eyes and reminded Liberty brass that she can still play effectively and will be a key part of any legitimate run at the 2016 WNBA championship.

New York returns to Madison Square Garden this afternoon to play the final pre-Olympic portion of it’s schedule on another Camp Day against the Indiana Fever at 11am.