{"id":905399,"date":"2026-07-01T12:28:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T12:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/905399\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T12:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T12:28:20","slug":"live-from-new-york-the-liberty-assert-who-they-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/905399\/","title":{"rendered":"Live from New York, the Liberty assert who they are"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"<a<\/a>New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) shoots the ball while defended by Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith (3) during the first half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on June 30, 2026. (Photo credit: John Jones | Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

NEW YORK \u2014 Welcome to Basketball Insider, presented by The BIG EAST Conference. As the assembled media gathered to speak with New York Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco, an observer dropped into the room would have been forgiven for thinking DeMarco\u2019s team was not about to host a championship game with a trophy on the line as overwhelming favorites.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To be clear, when the home team enters having lost two straight, including by double digits to the rebuilding Seattle Storm, and Breanna Stewart herself called for her team to play with more heart,<\/a> a negative tinge to questions naturally follows. <\/p>\n

\u201cI just think it\u2019s important whether or not shots are falling, that we\u2019re competing, that we\u2019re staying on offensive glass and defending, we\u2019re still doing our jobs and following the game plan,\u201d DeMarco said pregame. \u201cI think we will.\u201d<\/p>\n

And yet: it has been hard to figure out what the Liberty can do to reassure those questioning their current position in the WNBA standings and whether the highest expectations in the league<\/a> are being met.<\/p>\n

A trophy, theoretically, against the defending champs would seem to be the key. On Tuesday, June 30, the Liberty captured such a victory, 93-85, delighting a capacity crowd at Barclays Center.<\/p>\n

But the Las Vegas Aces were playing without A\u2019ja Wilson<\/a>, effectively putting the Liberty in a no-win position. Win, and it is expected. Lose to the Aces without Wilson, a third straight defeat, and the questions would only grow among those who see last season\u2019s No. 5 playoff seed as a floor, not a ceiling.<\/p>\n

On a night when a signature match-up between Wilson and Stewart would have been a useful change-of-pace for the WNBA from the continuing<\/a> Alyssa Thomas-Caitlin Clark<\/a> story, it was left to Aces head coach Becky Hammon<\/a> to decide if she should prioritize replacing Wilson\u2019s offense or defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m going to need some scoring,\u201d Hammon said with a wry smile. \u201cWe got, we got 33 points out of the line up when we start adding up points and assists and impact, so we\u2019re going to need to score some points.\u201d She paused, briefly, to consider. \u201cWe\u2019re also going to need to play some defense, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was left to Jackie Young<\/a> to carry the offense, and she very nearly did. But the Liberty, especially the version where Sabrina Ionescu<\/a>, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones<\/a> are all healthy, were simply too much to overcome.<\/p>\n

Concerns over the two-game losing streak mask a larger truth about the first 20 games of DeMarco\u2019s tenure. The Liberty are not in anything like a poor position. They\u2019re a game out in the loss column from the No. 3 seed, with plenty of time to catch even the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, who come to town on Friday night. They\u2019re second in the league in rebounding percentage, fourth in defensive rating. They\u2019re playing like a contending team.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a drift we\u2019re continuing to see, even during games where the Liberty lead. Wilson was out, yet Jonquel Jones got shockingly few touches, with only one made field goal on six attempts, despite an active night on the boards. A 17-point lead disappeared by early in the fourth quarter, Hammon making adjustments, the Liberty slow to respond.<\/p>\n

As Pauline Astier<\/a> continued to show herself as a better fit for this roster than Natasha Cloud<\/a> was, Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu took over in the fourth quarter. The reason no one I spoke to around the league seems concerned about New York\u2019s sluggish start is the sheer level of talent on the roster, even with Satou Sabally<\/a> missing and no guarantee she\u2019ll return anytime soon, given the non-linear healing associated with concussions.<\/p>\n

But on Tuesday, Ionescu looked the most like herself yet, punctuating her dagger three with a celebration. She told me afterwards what the difference is between when she\u2019s healthy and when she isn\u2019t:<\/p>\n

\u201cit\u2019s when you stop thinking about what you can and can\u2019t do, you know, especially overcoming two injuries within a month,\u201d Ionescu said postgame, goggles on her forehead. \u201c\u2026 you\u2019re always trying to troubleshoot, and maybe be a little bit tentative, because you\u2019re scared to have to go back into that place. And I think there comes a time where you kind of get that nod from your body, mentally, physically, of I\u2019m good, and my teammates continue to pour into me through the entire process, understanding belief that they had, knowing I will get back to the point where I\u2019m healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, winning cures everything. So when it was over and the Liberty gathered on their practice court, players and coaches alike celebrated but with a caveat: this is a win, but they are building to something bigger.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest with you, I feel like when we play against these teams that we know there\u2019s a high chance of seeing them later on in the playoffs,\u201d a relaxed Jones said about what that should look like. \u201cI think we\u2019re getting up for those teams. I think our area of growth right now is when we\u2019re playing teams that might not necessarily be the best on paper, is being able to get up for those games.\u201d<\/p>\n

So a win over Minnesota might not measure it. Perhaps there\u2019s no way to measure it outside of winning the championship or not.<\/p>\n

But having a pair of ten-year veterans in Jones and Stewart leading the way cures a lot of day-to-day problems like figuring out rotations and navigating injuries. Ionescu, too, has a championship pedigree.<\/p>\n

And so as I walked away from the celebration scene, watching Stewart balance her Commissioner\u2019s Cup MVP with the team\u2019s trophy, it was easy, for one night, to imagine everything coming up Ellie this season for New York.<\/p>\n

Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women\u2019s Sports Daily<\/strong>
<\/strong>
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women\u2019s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women\u2019s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!<\/p>\n

This week in women\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n

Minnesota Public Radio went long on Cheryl Reeve\u2019s Hall of Fame induction.<\/a><\/p>\n

Same subject: loved this from our Terry Horstman.<\/a><\/p>\n

Jenn Hatfield takes you through the four-overtime thriller the Washington Mystics won.<\/a><\/p>\n

Maitreyi Anantharaman explains why you don\u2019t actually have to pay attention to the noise.<\/a><\/p>\n

Our Cameron Ruby updates us on JuJu Watkins\u2019 status.<\/a><\/p>\n

Clare Brennan\u2019s story on the baker of A\u2019ja Wilson\u2019s annual Pride Cake is worth your time.<\/a><\/p>\n

Our Tony East caught up with Val Ackerman to talk about her latest honor.<\/a><\/p>\n

And Katie Barnes has all you need to know about today\u2019s Supreme Court ruling on transgender athletes.<\/a><\/p>\n

Five at The IX: Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Chris DeMarco<\/p>\n

Soccer: Annie Peterson,\u00a0@AnnieMPeterson<\/a>,\u00a0AP Women\u2019s Soccer
Tennis<\/strong>: Joey Dillon,\u00a0@JoeyDillon<\/a>,\u00a0Freelance Tennis Writer<\/strong>
Basketball<\/strong>: Howard Megdal,\u00a0@HowardMegdal<\/a>,\u00a0The\u00a0<\/strong>IX Sports<\/strong>
Softball: Maren Angus-Coombs, @Maren-Angus<\/a>, The IX Sports<\/strong>
Golf<\/strong>: Marin Dremock,\u00a0@MDremock<\/a>, The IX Sports<\/strong>
Hockey<\/strong>:\u00a0@TheIceGarden<\/a>,\u00a0The Ice Garden<\/strong>
Gymnastics<\/strong>: Jessica Taylor Price,\u00a0@jesstaylorprice<\/a>, Freelance\u00a0Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

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