It felt like UConn night at Barclays Center. With No. 1 one picks Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, and Azzi Fudd on the court — and Geno Auriemma calling the game on ESPN — it was Huskies representation all over the arena.
However, it was a Notre Dame alumnus that stole the show.
Jessica Shepard is having the best season of her career. The Wings center was one of the key pickups of their off-season, and has been a revelation for Jose Fernandez’s team. Shepard has rewarded their faith with an All Star
nomination and potential All-WNBA appearance at the end of the season. She put another great statistical outing together as she collected her league leading third triple-double of the season.
For as good as Shepard was, the game was there to be had for New York. In the first quarter, the Liberty jumped out to an early lead by consistently attacking Shepard and the Wings in the painted area
However, the game flipped in the second quarter. The Liberty went cold from the field as Dallas outscored them 29-11. The Liberty’s interior success evaporated as they went 2-9 inside the paint. It was a surprising deviation from their interior success and it was exacerbated by problems they had on the defensive end tonight.
“Lack of execution,” Chris DeMarco said, “and you know it’s hard. It’s hard to run offense when you’re taking the ball out of the basket. So I think, especially the first quarter, we had some unforced turnovers and we gave a lot of offensive rebounds, and those are times you can build the lead and dictate the game, have it go your way a little bit.”
After half, the Liberty started looking like themselves again. They got the Wings lead down to five points and gave the Liberty faithful at Barclays something to cheer for as the home team fought to make it a game. Although they didn’t regain the lead, their run showed what things can look like when they’re firing on all cylinders.
‘I was really happy with the team in the third quarter,“ DeMarco said, the way we competed [and] got back in the game. That’s what it’s going to take, especially with players out of the lineup.”
New York entered the game missing Leonie Fiebich due to foot soreness and Satou Sabally as she continues to recover from a recent concussive symptoms. Rebekah Gardner got the start tonight but had some struggles. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton returned to the rotation after a recent absence and although she didn’t score on five field goal attempts, she was moving well across the court and was a vocal leader on the defensive end.
Rebecca Allen made her return to the rotation in the fourth quarter and helped spark a Liberty comeback attempt
However, Bec’s night ended prematurely when she appeared to get elbowed in the nose by Shepard.
As it happens, the only call made here was a delay of game warning on the Liberty when Allen ran to get examined by the medical staff. Officiating in the WNBA/NBA sure is… something.
That said, the Liberty had their chances to get back in this one. They got the Wings lead down to two possessions on several occasions, but ill-timed fouls and turnovers combined with timely Paige Bueckers jumpers extinguished any comeback attempt and handed New York their second loss of the season to Dallas.
Final: Dallas Wings 88, New York Liberty 77.
The Liberty will hit the road for the next two weeks as we draw closer to the All-Star Game in Chicago. At the big game, they’ll be well represented in the festivities.
JJ to the All Star game!
Prior to the start of the game, WNBA All Star reserves were announced. And for the sixth time in her career, Jonquel Jones is heading to the big game.
Jones was named an All-Star reserve and joining her in the frontcourt will be players such as Angel Reese and Dominique Malonga. For Jones, this All-Star appearance takes on extra importance following an injury plagued 2025 campaign.
“It means a lot to me,” Jones said. “You know, obviously a different type of off-season for me, having surgery and having to bounce back from that. It was uncharted territory and something I’ve never had to deal with before. So it feels good to be playing at an all-star level.
Thank you for everybody that voted for me [and] took the time to do that. It feels good. It feels good to be able to go out there and represent the Liberty.“
“I’m really happy JJ got the All-Star nod,” Breanna Stewart added. I think that she deserves it every year, and I think Chris said the other time that we were up here, sometimes people take what JJ does for granted.
She’s huge to what we do here in New York. She’s a player that was won a lot of things and she definitely deserves it this year.“
Jones has meant so much to the Liberty since her arrival in 2023. In addition to her excellence on the court, she’s someone that lifts the spirits of her teammates and is always there for them. This All-Star nomination is a well-deserved reward for a job well done and acknowledgement that she’s one of the best and most impactful players in basketball.
Next up
The Liberty hit the road for a three-game stretch. First stop? Minneapolis for a national TV showdown against the Minnesota Lynx. Tip at 1 PM on July 11.
