The New York Liberty were unquestionably the best team in the 2024 regular season, losing only eight games. The Liberty ranked first in offensive rating and third in defensive rating, dominating on both ends of the floor.
In the playoffs, the team looked just as good. New York took down the Atlanta Dream, the Las Vegas Aces, and the Minnesota Lynx on its way to its first WNBA championship. Since then, not much has changed. The Liberty lost Kayla Thornton to the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft, and Courtney Vandersloot signed with the Chicago Sky in free agency, but otherwise, all key players from last season’s championship team are returning.
Due to that continuity, the Liberty are expected to still be one of the top teams in the league in the 2025 season. Winning another championship won’t be easy for the Liberty, however. Other teams are ready to give them some trouble. The Minnesota Lynx also kept their roster together, the Las Vegas Aces look ready to compete, and the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury had great offseasons.
Key #3: The stars are ready to play at the highest level
Starpower can make a big difference when trying to compete at the highest level. Between Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquil Jones, the Liberty have plenty of that. But they are not the only team with big stars leading the charge. The Lynx have Napheesa Collier, the Aces are led by A’ja Wilson, the Mercury put Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally next to Kahleah Copper, and the Fever added DeWanna Bonner to their big three of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell.
Having stars will not be enough. They will have to play at the highest level possible for the Liberty to repeat in 2025. Ionescu and Stewart both did not play their best in Game 5 of the 2024 Finals. Stewart’s 3-point shooting took a significant dip last season, falling to 29.5 percent, and she has also struggled from three in Unrivaled.
Despite some momentary struggles from their stars, the Liberty managed to win everything last season. The question is just whether they will be able to do that again in the 2025 season.
Key #2: Leonie Fiebich is ready to build on last season’s success
One big reason for the Liberty’s success last season was their depth and the fact that role players stepped up. No one did that more than Leonie Fiebich. She joined the Liberty as a rookie struggling to get consistent minutes. By the time the playoffs rolled around, she was a starter and one of the keys to the Liberty’s success.
Fiebich offers great size and a strong two-way presence on the wing. She shot 54.2 percent from three over eleven playoff games and averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Despite being a rookie, Fiebich’s time playing overseas prepared her for a big role in the WNBA, and she did not disappoint.
If she can build on that success and be even better in the 2025 season, it will go a long way for the Liberty. However, the Liberty will also need a backup plan for Fiebich due to EuroBasket Women happening in Germany this year.
Key #1: The Liberty can rely on their depth again
The New York Liberty were so successful last season because they were one of the best two-way teams in the league, posting the best offensive rating and the third-best defensive rating in the league. A big reason for that was that the Liberty could rely on their depth.
If the Liberty can replicate that in the 2025 season, it would be the third consecutive year in which they are one of the top two-way teams in the league. That is not an easy thing to do, but considering that the Liberty are returning most of their key players, it is also not impossible.
Nevertheless, the Liberty will have to make some adjustments to replicate their two-way success.
First of all, they need to figure out who will replace Courtney Vandersloot’s production. Vandersloot had a down year and played a much smaller role for the Liberty in 2024, but still averaged the second-most assists per game on the team. Someone needs to step into the backup point guard role in 2025 and perform at a relatively high level for the Liberty to succeed. That could be Ivana Dojkic or Jaylyn Sherrod, for example, if the Liberty want to go with someone from last season’s roster.
Secondly, someone will have to replace Kayla Thornton. Thornton’s numbers may not jump off the page, but she was one of the Liberty’s key pieces of the bench. Losing her while Fiebich and Sabally may also miss some time due to EuroBasket Women means that the Liberty must have reliable two-way players on the bench to compete for another championship.