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Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty ImagesOof. The New York Liberty landed in Uncasville hoping to get back in the winner’s circle. Unfortunately for them, their struggles as the Sun took control of the final three quarters and cruised to a 16 point victory. The loss was New York’s fourth in a row and they’re desperately looking for a way out of their rut.
Where to follow the game
My9 on TV. Liberty Live and FOX Local on streaming. League Pass for the rest of y’all. Tip after 1:00 p.m. ET.
Injuries
No Breanna Stewart, Kennedy Burke, or Nyara Sabally.
All clear for the Sun.
The game
The Liberty won the first game and the Sun took the second. These teams wrap the season series up on August 25.
The Connecticut Sun might be on the move. On Saturday, the Boston Globe broke the news that the Sun have been sold to a group led in part by Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca. With a sale like that, you’d think it would be a layup that the team is on its way to Boston, right? Not so fast! The WNBA league office threw cold water on that idea right after the sale was announced. This story is far from over and we’ll have plenty more on this big news. Also, do remember
$325 million for the Connecticut Sun and $100 million for a practice facility in Boston. Don't let the wnba league office (and the nba) tell you there isn't money to pay the players. https://t.co/IC8TqZ6ByO
— busy ☝️ (@busyxb) August 2, 2025
Speaking of big news, welcome to the Liberty, Emma Meesseman! Emma joins at an especially critical time for the Liberty. With Stewart out, the Libs are without their superstar and defensive dynamo. Meesseman will likely start at the 4 and she will help their interior scoring, create scoring opportunities out of the high post with her passing, and more importantly give them another elite player that can carry the offense and allow everyone to move down a role. When she first signed, we thought her signing would be a luxury. Turns out, it’s an absolute necessity.
No rebounds, no rings. If the Liberty can’t do better on the glass, they’re not going to accomplish the goals they set out to. Players have talked before about sometimes counting on Jonquel Jones to do all the work on the glass. But when she’s out on the perimeter like she was on Friday night, it’s up to everyone else to pick up the slack. With players like Aneesah Morrow and Tina Charles on the other side, it’s going to take a team effort to bring this home.
Player to watch: Leïla Lacan
France has delivered so many great talents across the WNBA. Gabby Williams, Marine Johannès, Dominique Malonga, the list goes on. We can add Lacan to the list. Lacan was taken tenth overall last season in the Draft. She had French National Team obligations that kept her away for the Olympics last year, but she’s here and ready to roll. In nine games, she’s averaging around nine points, three rebounds, and three assists in close to 24 minutes a night. Her three point shooting isn’t there, but as Emily Adler of The Next wrote:
[W]e had pre-draft concerns about whether she could be a good shooter, but after hitting 31.3% from deep over the past three seasons in the French league, she’ll almost certainly be better than this. But the defensive versatility we saw has certainly showed up, and her ability to get to the rim and finish has been excellent. Things are still plenty rough for the Sun, but the backcourt core is one of the better young groups in the league.
Gotta start somewhere, and the Sun might have the makings of a solid foundation to build on.
Marine Johannès has started the last two games, and she's done well in her pinch hitting role. Presumably, she’ll slide down to the bench and be the lead guard on the second unit. She went 0-4 from the field on Friday, and they’ll need better from her today. She’s someone that French players look up to, and after the game she and Lacan shared a nice moment...
Leila sait qu'elle aime bien les ballons.
— Out of context Marine Johannès (@MJohannesOOC) August 2, 2025
Ah ces jeunes, ça trolle tata Jojo. pic.twitter.com/pWUSxwQ6mJ
Johannès is a French basketball icon and helped pave the way for the next generation of French hoopers.
From the Vault
It’s Summerslam Sunday and NetsDaily will be in the house!
More reading: CT Insider, Swish Appeal, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, New York Daily News, No Cap Space, New York Post, The Athletic, NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The Next
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