On their quest for a second consecutive WNBA championship, the New York Liberty have experienced high highs, low lows, and everything in between.
The journey to immortality brings many twists and turns, and this team has learned to face and move with them, day after day, game after game. This is the story of the 2025 New York Liberty. So far.
UP, DOWN, ALL AROUND
The seafoam squad began their title defense white-hot, blitzing out to a 9-0 start. It all began with a 92-78 thumping of rival Las Vegas. Breanna Stewart dazzled with 25 points, Jonquel Jones owned the glass with 10 rebounds, and new point guard Natasha Cloud dished out nine assists. Balanced ball with just the right amount of sparkle. Classic Liberty. Poetry in motion.
This was followed by dominant victories over the likes of Chicago, Golden State and Connecticut. When things looked like they couldn’t get any better, reality struck on June 14, with a 102-88 loss to the Indiana Fever. In the blink of an eye, perfection was gone. Starting with that defeat, the Liberty are 11-10 in their last 21 contests.
They’ve suffered head-scratching losses to Los Angeles, Dallas and Connecticut, three of the five worst teams in the league, and have struggled with slow starts, turnovers, and defensive toughness and consistency. Injuries and absences haven’t helped either.
From June 12 to July 1, second-year star forward Leonnie Fiebich left to play for the German women’s national team at EuroBasket. Jones was out with an ankle injury, Sabrina Ionescu with neck stiffness. Stewart suffered a bone bruise, Cloud got sick and Nyara Sabally has knee pain. If it hasn’t been one player it’s another.
SHE’S HER!
The Libs wouldn’t have won a championship last year without Jonquel Jones. While Sab and Stewie struggled to shoot, the 6’6 dynamo came through in the clutch time and time again, and she’s doing it again this season.
In 18 games, she’s averaging 14.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. She’s shooting 47.5% from the floor and 45.8% from three-point range. That’s incredible for a player her size. The way she impacts the game on both ends is truly extraordinary.
She can dominate you inside with her physicality, feet and hand coordination and rebounding skills, while just as easily taking you downtown for another triple. No problem. Night Night. She does all of this while passing with great precision and anchoring the defense. She’s the most underrated superstar in the league and waking people up nightly.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
New York greatly improved their roster mid-season with the splash additons of Emma Meesseman and Stephanie Talbot. Meesseman is back in the W after three years with Fenerbahçe in Turkey. She chose to play for the Libs over the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury.
The 6’4″ forward has versatility for days with the ability to play inside and out. She’s a great passer for her size and is a plus defender. Meesseman is reunited with Cloud, her teammate in Washington for five seasons with whom she won a championship in 2019. This helps with chemistry and familiarity from the jump as she integrates herself into the Liberty system.
Talbot comes to Brooklyn after a 16-game stint with the Golden State Valkyries. The 31-year-old is a capable shooter, facilitater and defender. She’s physical and provides needed wing depth as All-Star Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is sidelined for the season.
Her decision to sign with the Liberty was in large part due to her relationship with head coach Sandy Brondello, who guided her with Phoenix and the Australian National team.
UP NEXT FOR THE LIBERTY
While it’s been an uneven season, the Liberty have arugably the deepest, most talented team in the WNBA, led by one of the game’s greatest coaches. When playoff time comes, expect them to notch things up another level and bring their very best.
They went through the gauntlet of the playoffs last season and took home the trophy. Been there, done that. The opportunity to win back-to-back titles in today’s parity-fueled W is rare, but so is this team.
Look out.