New York Liberty look like team of destiny in pursuit of first WNBA championship

The New York Liberty were one of the inaugural WNBA franchises. When the league first launched in 1997, it was only logical for the Mecca of Basketball to play home to a team that would help alter the perception of the sport worldwide.

27 years later, however, the Liberty have never once won the WNBA championship—a fact that seems inevitable to change in 2024.

New York enters the All-Star break with an unmatched record of 21-4. It has the best home and road records in the NBA at 12-1 and 9-3, respectively, and has won 17 of its past 19 games, including three wins over the second-seed Connecticut Sun.

Having lost just two games since May, the Liberty are the epitome of dominance and an extraordinary example of perseverance.

Some might argue that we've seen this story before, as New York went 32-8 in 2023 before losing in the WNBA Finals. Falling 3-1 to the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals could've crushed this team, especially when considering that two of the losses were rather lopsided.

Instead, it seems to have forged the bond between these players—and that's exactly what makes the 2024 Liberty so special.

New York Liberty's dominance by the numbers

New York currently ranks No. 1 in the WNBA in net rating at 11.8—3.1 more than the No. 2 team. The Liberty also check in at No. 1 in offensive rating at 107.5 and rank fourth in the league in defensive rating at 95.7.

The question, of course, is simple: How are they doing it?

One of the foundational elements of New York's success has been its unrivaled proficiency from beyond the arc. It ranks No. 1 in the WNBA at 10.3 three-point field goals made per game, and currently sits at fourth in three-point field goal percentage.

The manner in which the Liberty are creating such efficient offense is by running an offensive system that emphasizes ball movement, yet still manages to limit turnovers.

Thus far, New York ranks No. 2 in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, and No. 3 in turnovers and assist percentage. It's also doing a phenomenal job of pushing the pace, ranking No. 1 in the WNBA in fast break points.

Offensively, New York has created the perfect balance by building around Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Breanna Stewart.

On the other end of the floor, New York has pulled back from crashing the offensive glass, emphasized retreating in transition, and is almost impossible to convert second chances against. Jones and Stewart, who rank in the top five in the WNBA in defensive rebounding, and the top 10 in blocks, have anchored those efforts.

As a team, the Liberty rank No. 1 in second-chance points allowed and No. 5 in opponent fast break points through 25 games.

By keeping it simple on defense, the Liberty are able to push the pace on offense and move the ball with impeccable precision. With three potential All-WNBA players leading the charge, and Laney-Hamilton shooting the lights out, New York is impossible to defend and a tough team to crack on defense.

Despite the devastating manner in which they lost the 2023 WNBA Finals, the Liberty are back as a team of destiny in 2024.