The 2024 WNBA Champions aren't playing like they want a repeat championship, Breanna Stewart told reporters following the Liberty's tough 80-63 loss to the Mercury Saturday night.
The team's performance "was not good enough," Stewart said. "It’s not going to cut it – any of the things that we’ve done today and honestly for a while. It’s not going to get us where we want to be. This is not championship-level basketball at this point, and everybody needs to recognize that and understand that. We need to get there and that starts with the mindset and then putting it onto the court."
The Liberty struggled through much of the crucial match and were decimated by the Mercury's defense. New York committed nearly 20 turnovers and the Mercury stealthily took full advantage, racking up 26 points that alone. Phoenix also outscored New York 43-24 over the second half of the game.
New York is chasing a repeat WNBA Championship, but that goal seems to be further and further away. The team was hit with a series of tough injuries that saw the loss of Jonquel Jones, Natasha Cloud, Sabrina Ionescu, and Stewart, but the roster is fully healthy now and the timing is critical.
Unfortunately, those injuries mean the core of the team hasn't played more than 13 games together this season, which in turn means they're still learning the system — with only 12 days left.
Despite her has words, Stewart ended the press conference on a positive(ish) note: as she put it, the team has no choice but to "go in and work this s**t out."
The Fever's game against the Valkyries is important for New York
Sunday night will offer two matches that may decide a lot for New York: the Sparks will face the Mystics, who are out of playoffs contention, and the Fever will travel to San Francisco and meet the Golden State Valkyries at home in Ballhalla.
The No. 9 ranked Sparks are on the cusp of making the playoffs, and a win against the Mystics would boost the team's 17-20 record — though it may not be quite enough to guarantee they have a spot.
The Fever's game against the Valkyries is even more important, and the Liberty need the Valkyries to lose to give New York a shot at rising in the standings. That's a tall order, especially since Golden State has won every game against the Fever so far this season.