{"id":667358,"date":"2026-05-27T04:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T04:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/667358\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T04:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T04:24:15","slug":"the-new-york-liberty-might-be-in-trouble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/667358\/","title":{"rendered":"The New York Liberty Might Be In Trouble"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not panic time for the New York<\/a> Liberty, but their first seven games warrant a raised eyebrow.<\/p>\n

The Liberty entered the 2026 WNBA season as the odds-on favorites to win the championship, and they looked every bit of a basketball<\/a> goliath in their season-opening 106-75 win over the Connecticut Sun<\/a> on May 8.<\/p>\n

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But they\u2019ve looked out of sorts en route to losing four of their past five, and it may not be as simple as writing it off as an early-season feel-out period under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco.<\/p>\n

Above all, the Liberty\u2019s new \u201cBig 4\u201d \u2014 Breanna Stewart<\/a>, Jonquel Jones<\/a>, Sabrina Ionescu<\/a>, and Satou Sabally<\/a> \u2014\u00a0have only shared the floor for one game.<\/p>\n

\"CHICAGO,CHICAGO, ILLINOIS \u2013 SEPTEMBER 11: Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty<\/a> looks on as she walks off the court after the first half of the game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena on September 11, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hirschuber\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Ionescu, an All-Star point guard, suffered a left foot injury in the Liberty\u2019s final preseason game on May 3, which cost her the first five games of the season. The Liberty signed<\/a> All-Star forward Sabally to a multiyear contract in free agency last month, but she was sidelined for the first four games with a cyst.<\/p>\n

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Ionescu made her season debut against the Dallas Wings<\/a> last Sunday, marking the first time she, Sabally, Jones, and Stewart occupied a starting five together. They started off hot \u2014\u00a0showing the ceiling for what is perhaps the most talented group in the league \u2014 but eventually, the rust won out, and the Wings ran them off the floor in a 91-76 win.<\/p>\n

Ionescu missed the Liberty\u2019s game against the Portland Fire<\/a> on Monday night, and Sabally left early with an illness. New York<\/a> lost 81-74 and, surprisingly, their season series with the expansion Fire, 2-1. Afterward, Stewart was asked about her previous expectation-setting that it would take time for the new-look Liberty<\/a> to jell.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs this what you expected when you said that?\u201d the reporter asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, no, definitely not,\u201d Stewart said<\/a>. \u201cBut it\u2019s a learning experience for everyone. My message to the players in the locker room is, like, nobody expected this. Not to say that we thought it was gonna be easy because we definitely didn\u2019t, but it\u2019s gonna take time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The two-time WNBA MVP and three-time WNBA champion continued, \u201cThere\u2019s gonna be highs and lows, and while it seems like we\u2019re in the lows right now, eventually, we\u2019ll get to a place where everybody is really confident and comfortable in what\u2019s going on. Listen, I\u2019m happy it\u2019s happening early and not late.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last sentence is the key. The Las Vegas Aces<\/a>, the league\u2019s dynastic force, were 14-14 after losing by 53 points to Minnesota<\/a> on Aug. 2. The Aces didn\u2019t lose another game and won their third title in four years last October.<\/p>\n

But Stewart doesn\u2019t need to look at Las Vegas<\/a>. She spoke from experience.<\/p>\n

Last season, the Liberty started 9-0 and seemed primed to repeat as WNBA champions. But Stewart missed most of August<\/a> with a bone bruise in her right knee, and Jones missed significant time throughout the season with an ankle injury. As a result, the Liberty flamed out with a first-round playoff exit.<\/p>\n

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If Ionescu and Sabally\u2019s injury (and illness) bugs are limited and put in the past by the All-Star break in July, then this article will age poorly, and the Liberty can win their second title in three years. But if this season\u2019s clunky start is an omen, the Liberty are in trouble.<\/p>\n

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