What's that you hear? A low, growing growl emanating from Brooklyn? Could the embattled, fatigued New York Liberty be coming together at precisely the perfect time, rising from the ashes of a season filled with unexpected roadblocks and injuries?
They just might be.
The Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 93-81 this week, in a game that was played at the Lynx's home Target Center and that served as a strong reminder that this is a team that will be a serious threat to anyone they meet in the first round. That's something that will be true no matter what seed they are, no matter how many awards they do or do not win.
It's also bad news for the top seeded teams, who could be hoping they meet a team they feel more certain they can beat. When it comes to New York, it's tough for anyone in the WNBA to ever really think they have a surefire shot at winning, because the Liberty love to keep the rest of the league guessing.
As it stands now, New York will likely end up as one of the bottom three seeds heading into the playoffs. That is something that some teams and some fans might be down about — after all, this is the same team that won the WNBA Championship in 2024, and the same team that still boasts a trifecta of players (Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu), who can spark fear even in the hardiest of veteran players when they're on top of their game.
And it certainly seems they're on top of their game. Stewart, Jones, and Ionescu have been here before, over and over again. Leonie Fiebich has been here before, over and over again. In fact, with the excepetion of the team's head coach Chris DeMarco, just about everyone on the New York Liberty has been here before. If DeMarco comes up with the right plans — and if he lets his players do what they do best — the Liberty could find themselves marching much further into the playoffs than many think they will.
The WNBA postseason is always one filled with drama and surprises. There's absolutely no reason to believe the Liberty won't bring both to the table, and there's no reason to believe they won't be successful while doing so. The regular season ends on September 24, and then it's time to buckle in: the playoffs will begin on September 27.
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