It’s been a tough few games for the New York Liberty. After a five-game win streak that included wins over Phoenix and Atlanta, the Liberty lost to the Sparks and Wings. They had to face Dallas without Breanna Stewart, Nyara Sabally, and Kennedy Burke. Isabelle Harrison slid into the starting lineup and Stephanie Talbot played increased minutes off the bench.
The Liberty had no answer for the red-hot Dallas Wings and suffered what was perhaps their worst loss of the season. After the game, Sandy Brondello and Jonquel Jones didn’t mince their words.
“They’re on a back-to-back, so there’s no excuse,” Brondello noted in the postgame press conference. “So, we’ve got to dig a little bit deeper and, you know, we have to take a bit more pride in the defensive area. It doesn’t matter that we have players out. Everyone does.”
Jones wasn’t any more thrilled with the Liberty’s effort. When asked what words she would use to describe the first 25 minutes of the game, Jones said, “All of those words you just used; embarrassing, frustrating, a bit disappointing because we know the level of play that we hold ourselves to and the caliber of play that we played at in the past.”
The Liberty didn’t play a pretty game
While the Liberty ended up losing only by 10 points, the game wasn’t always that close. Six minutes into the first quarter, the Liberty were down 21-4. After the first half, the score was 63-36 in favor of the Wings.
The Liberty struggled from three, making only seven of their 26 attempts. They also conceded 24 points off turnovers and struggled to contain the Wings’ top scorers. Arike Ogunbowale, Paige Bueckers, and Luisa Geiselsöder combined for 54 points. Ogunbowale also dished out a career-high 14 assists.
It was a great showing from one of the worst teams in the league, and the exact opposite for the Liberty. New York still has the second-best record in the league behind only the Minnesota Lynx, but that position is not as secure as it once seemed. With a 17-8 record, the Liberty are only one game ahead of the Phoenix Mercury and two ahead of the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm. If the Liberty’s losing streak continues, any of those teams could sneak past them.
Reinforcements are on the way
Fortunately for Liberty fans, Breanna Stewart avoided a significant injury and shouldn’t have to sit out too many games. She is expected to miss the Liberty’s matchup against Minnesota, though. Besides the prospect of getting Stewart back eventually, the Liberty will also add Emma Meesseman to the roster soon.
Meesseman agreed to sign with the Liberty earlier this month but hasn’t joined the team yet because the visa process takes some time. ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported that the Belgian star should be in New York “sooner rather than later” to undergo her physical. Once that is done, the Liberty will get a massive boost.
The Liberty will still have to finish this road trip without Meesseman and Stewart, though. Facing the Lynx without Stewart will be tough, but the Liberty should definitely be able to take care of business against the Connecticut Sun.