Liberty Update: Eyes on the prize

The New York Liberty were able to overtake the No. 1 spot in the WNBA standings earlier in the season, and have not wavered since. Now leading the charge at 26-5, three games ahead of the Connecticut Sun, the Liberty are cruising into the playoffs.

They were the first team to clinch a playoff berth in 2024, and have high hopes of returning to the WNBA Finals this season. After last season’s loss to the Las Vegas Aces in that final series, New York quickly identified their problems and fixed them. What has resulted is a deeper, more efficient team that has the ability to swiftly defeat opponents.

Sabrina Ionescu shines

The newly-minted Olympic gold medalist has been having her best season yet in the WNBA. Averaging a career-high 19.4 points per game for the Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu looks like a stronger, more mature player.

She really worked in the offseason to improve her inside play and shooting, and that has resulted in a spike in her 2-point shooting percentage from 38.3 percent last season to 49.5 percent this season. Her floater, in particular, looks fantastic, and she has really become a mainstay on offense for this team, meaning less of the load needs to be carried by Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. After spending her first few WNBA seasons battling injury, it’s nice to see Ionescu finally turning into the star we all knew she could be.

Leonie Fiebich and the bench

She may be a rookie in the WNBA, but Leonie Fiebich is a seasoned European player. The 24-year-old made her WNBA debut this season, and has been absolutely lethal for the Liberty. She’s stepped into the sixth woman role, and has been called up to start in instances where players like Betnijah Laney-Hamilton have been out with injury.

A contender for the All-Rookie team—which seems unfair, honestly, given her experience—Fiebich brings a spark. Her 6-foot-4 frame gives her a defensive advantage at the forward position, and she shoots 38.5 percent from 3. She has fit in with the starters seamlessly in the 13 games she has started for Laney-Hamilton, who returned to the court on Tuesday for the first game since July 6.

Fiebich, along with Kayla Thornton, Nyara Sabally and Kennedy Burke, make up the Liberty’s main bench squad. While they don’t get as many minutes as other teams’ bench squads, the Liberty’s reserves always make the most of their minutes. Even rookie Jaylyn Sherrod, who had been on a hardship contract with the team before they signed her to a rest of season contract last week, came off the bench with a boost of energy in her first few games. This squad allows the Liberty to rest their core players and not have to worry about losing those minutes in tighter games. These players know how to step up when their number is called.

The core holds strong

Of course, the heart of the Liberty is Stewart, Ionescu, Jones, Laney-Hamilton and Courtney Vandersloot. They’ve been powerful, effortless and in-sync all season long.

The Liberty sit second in the league in points per game with 85.5, as well as second in the league for defensive rebounds at 28.5 per game. They lead the league with a plus/minus of 9.9 per game, a large margin from the Aces at 7.1. They also are second in the league in assists at 22.6 per game, and first in the league in 3-pointers made at 10.1 per game. Stewart and Ionescu sit at sixth and seventh in the league for points per game, with 19.7 and 19.4 respectively.

Overall, the starters are getting it done. They know what it’s like to make it all the way and lose; they will do everything in their power to win this time around. This team was assembled to bring New York their first WNBA championship, and this iteration of the team, in particular, has the best chance to do so. With nine games left in the WNBA season and a playoff spot secured, Liberty fans can rest easy knowing their team will be playing fall hoops.