The Mike D’Antoni Show — fast-paced offense, defense is an afterthought — closed at the Garden in mid-March. But another coach liked what he saw of D’Antoni’s style and decided to integrate it into his team’s attack.
When the Liberty tip off the 2012 season today (4 p.m.; MSG Plus) in the Garden against the rival Connecticut Sun, Liberty coach John Whisenant will have his squad looking to pick up the pace.
“I got a chance to visit with Mike and we talked and he shared some of his thoughts with me,’’ Whisenant said. “It’s an exciting offense. It suits our personnel and will allow us to play with greater pace.’’
Whisenant has not abandoned his white-line defense and, after an opponent made basket or free throw, the Liberty will run their high-low halfcourt offense. But off misses or turnovers, the Liberty will put on track shoes.
The question is whether a faster, and hopefully higher-scoring, attack can offset the team’s weakness inside and improve on last season’s 19-15 record that ended in a first-round playoff loss to Indiana.
The Liberty used the seventh pick in the draft on former Tennessee center Kelley Cain, a 6-foot-6 shot-blocker who is not expected to contribute much this season. Whisenant was criticized for taking Cain that high, but the Liberty lost 6-5 Quanitra Hollingsworth to the Turkish national team.
The core of the team, led by star guard Cappie Pondexter, returns, and the Liberty should be better executing Whisenant’s system in his second season.
Pondexter led her team to the Turkish League title this winter. Center Kia Vaughn led her squad to the Italian League crown. Plenette Pierson helped her team win the Israeli League championship. And Nicole Powell was a driving force in her team claiming the Polish League crown.
“That means we’ve got championship players,’’ Whisenant said.
That’s the good news. The bad news is those players didn’t return to the States until this week. It partially explains the two lopsided preseason losses — 96-81 at Connecticut and 89-57 to Phoenix.
Pondexter, one of the league’s best leaders, said she is determined to get this franchise its first WNBA title.
“I feel like I did not have a great season,’’ she said of 2011, when she averaged 17.4 points but saw her shooting accuracy decline from 48 to 40 percent and her 3-point shooting drop from 43 to 34.5 percent.
“I let the city down, the franchise down, myself down,’’ she added. “There’s a lot on my shoulders.’’
lenn.robbins@nypost.com
Liberty coach John Whisenant, Cappie Pondexter, Connecticut Sun, the Liberty, Quanitra Hollingsworth, Whisenant, Tennessee center Kelley Cain, Indiana.The Liberty, halfcourt offense
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