New York’s lead in the East down to just 1 game
By Noah Zimmerman | noah@queensledger.com
The red-hot start to the 2025 Liberty season has come to a screeching halt, as New York entered the week with three losses in four games. Since their first loss of the year to the Fever, the Liberty’s backs have been up against the wall. Even their lone win wasn’t convincing, as New York had to overcome a 17-point deficit for win over Atlanta. The tough week continued as New York fell from 9-0 to 10-3 with losses to the Mercury and Storm. They’re down to just a one-game lead over Atlanta in the Eastern Conference.
The toughest pill to swallow was the return of Jonquel Jones to the Injured List The star center returned to action against the Dream last Tuesday after missing five games with a sprained ankle, but renewed the injury after just nine minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Mercury.
Jones has averaged 12 points and 9.6 rebounds through her 9 games. New York still hasn’t lost when Jones has recorded a double-double in a Liberty uniform, so Jonquel’s return to the lineup will be heavily anticipated. It’s estimated recovery will take 4-6 weeks, so Jones may be out through the WNBA All-Star break in July.
“You all see how valuable JJ is to us and how we want to play,” Head coach Sandy Brondello said. “Injuries are a part of the game, it’s unfortunate. JJ is going to work really hard but players are going to have to step up in her absence. you can’t replace JJ’s skill set or what she brings to us, we have to do it by committee.”
In their losses to the Fever and Mercury, the Liberty also struggled without the shooting and defense of Leonie Fiebich. The forward is currently playing with the German national team in the EuroBasket championships and has her WNBA contract suspended until the end of the tournament. She was in quarterfinal action on Wednesday night against Belgium.
Against Seattle, the Liberty were also down a third starter as Sabrina Ionescu missed the game with neck tightness. In her absence, Breanna Stewart scored 18, with Marine Johannes and Rebekah Gardner scoring 17 and 12 respectively in their first starts of the season. It wasn’t enough to overcome the Storm, who pulled away late for a 89-79 win.
A difficult road trip continues for New York, as each opponent holds a winning record. Following their Wednesday night matchup in Golden State, the Liberty traveled to Phoenix, where they’ll take on the Mercury on Friday night at 10pm. After that they’ll look to fend off the 2nd place Dream as they make a stop in Atlanta, with tipoff scheduled for 3pm on Sunday.
When they return home, New York will open a homestand spanning nearly the entire month of July. The Liberty will host the LA Sparks on Thursday, July 3 and the Storm on Sunday the 6.
