At the dawn of a new era for the New York Liberty under Chris DeMarco, the team is emphasizing discipline. And the new head coach has found a stringent and old textbook method to enforce it in his squad- a $25 fine. But veteran Liberty forward Breanna Stewart doesn’t seem too content with it.

Speaking on the Game Recognizes Game podcast, Stewart shed light on the new fine for missing free-throw box outs, noting that the amount might be $25, but that it is immensely frustrating for her.

“Right now we’re getting fined for missed free-throw box outs,” Stewart said. “We’re a little bit mad about it. Because it’s like, all right? What if the ball goes out of bounds. There’s no possession. And there are always caveats to it like bad bounce.”

Now, implementing fines either in training or in the game is a staple of sport. We’ve seen over the years that NBA players, and even soccer players to some extent, talk about how coaches emphasize raising the team’s efficiency and discipline standards through those fines.

And NY Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco’s fine system seems to stem from that same reason- to improve the output of the team during a free-throw sequence. It doesn’t just set a standard; it cultivates a mindset among players to convert points on a missed free-throw rebound during a similar sequence of play.

Breanna Stewart herself mentioned that the $25 fine, despite being a small amount, largely revolves around her head while taking a free throw in the game. NY Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco also shed light on his fine system in his latest post-game press conference after the win against Portland Fire.

“I mean, it’s all fun, but we hate free-throw box out, or I could call free-throw offensive rebound,” DeMarco had said. “So, it’s big for us, you know that we can swing games majorly. So, it’s a focus for us.”

It may result in pressure and even frustration, but for now, it is working. Generally, the NY Liberty have been pinpoint accurate from the free throw line. In the three games they have played so far, they have converted over 85%, with Stewart leading all players in percentage at 93.3%.

We saw it even in their latest win over the Portland Fire, where they converted 17 of 20 from the line. Breanna Stewart went 5 of 6 in that regard as she concluded her night with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and an assist to give the NY Liberty a 100-82 win, and in turn, also earned some praise from head coach Chris DeMarco.

Chris DeMarco Heaps Praise on Breanna Stewart’s Second-Half Performance

Just a few days back, the NY Liberty were handed their first defeat of the season by the Portland Fire. After a strong start, the Liberty fumbled badly in the fourth quarter. The team scored just 19 points while allowing 28 for the Fire, who eventually clinched a 2-point come-from-behind win.

But on Thursday against the Fire yet again, veteran Breanna Stewart doubled down on her responsibility and cleaned up this second-half fiasco for good. Stewart tipped off the third quarter of the game with a two-pointer of a running layup and Marine Johannes’ assist in the opening minute.

And from that point, Stewart never looked back. The NY Liberty forward recorded 11 points in the third quarter alone, and added 4 points and an assist in the fourth. Powered by this performance, the NY Liberty scored 61 points in the second half of the game, prompting head coach Chris DeMarco to react.

“I mean, we’re just trying to put together 40-minute games, and we didn’t have the best first half,” DeMarco said. “I think our first quarter we had five turnovers. So, we tightened up in the second quarter, and then it carried over to the third. Stewie was phenomenal. JJ brought a ton of energy as well. So, that was good to have that kind of second half.”

The overall improvement in the NY Liberty’s second half is quite noticeable from the team’s box score. While the offensive flaw became prominent for Liberty, DeMarco’s team tightened the defense equally well. The Portland Fire scored 45 points, while Liberty scored 61, widening their lead.

With Breanna Stewart’s impressive performance, the New York Liberty has been able to clear their odds against the Portland Fire. But the challenge just gets tougher for her team. Their next opponents are the Golden State Valkyries, a team that has defeated teams like the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury quite convincingly.

The tipoff is on May 21 at the Barclays Center, where Stewart will look to shoulder her team to another win with uncertainty around Sabrina Ionescu (foot injury) and Satou Sabally’s fitness (cyst).