Moments after the Liberty defeated the Indiana Fever, 84-67, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, the Madison Square Garden staff began preparations for the arrival of Pope Francis on Friday.
The Liberty were playing on a second straight day — for the first time in the postseason since 2008 — because of the pope’s itinerary.
Tina Charles, who played nearly 40 minutes in Tuesday’s series-clinching semifinal win over the Washington Mystics, played 36 minutes and had her best all-around game of the playoffs, scoring 18 points and adding nine assists and seven rebounds. Three other Liberty players scored in double figures, including Kiah Stokes, who had a game-high 21 points.