Best win of the season. The New York Liberty returned from the FIBA World Cup break with a road matchup against the Minnesota Lynx. New York’s defense proved to be too much to handle for the league leading Lynx and the Liberty walked away with an impressive 93-81 win. NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan highlighted some of the best moments from Friday’s game, which you can watch below!
The opponent tonight is looking ahead to the off-season. The Toronto Tempo have played hard all season, but the wins haven’t come. That’s to be expected for an expansion team and on Friday night, their current losing streak was extended to five after fallingto the Indiana Fever.
Game info and broadcast details
- Matchup: New York Liberty at Toronto Tempo
- Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026
- Tip-off time: 3:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Coca-Cola Coliseum (Toronto, ON)
Liberty vs. Tempo injury report: Who’s out
Liberty injury status
- Not with team – Satou Sabally (head)
Tempo injury status
- Out – Marina Mabrey (right adductor)
- Out – Aneesah Morrow (left knee)
- Out – Brittney Sykes (left foot)
- Questionable – Maria Conde (illness)
Liberty vs. Tempo: Head-to-head
The Liberty won the first meeting 97-82 on June 3 while the Tempo won the second matchup 93-91 on July 12. This is the last matchup between the teams in 2026.
Don’t be surprised if the Liberty manage Breanna Stewart’s minutesthis one. Today is the first leg of a two country back-to-back and with the playoffs starting next Sunday, today is really the only chance Chris DeMarco and the Liberty staff have to sneak some rest for her. If she does get more rest than usual, maybe Raquel Carrera can get some run? She had a good showing in the World Cup for Spain and as someone the franchise will count on in the future, no time better than the present to get an extended look in the WNBA.
The Tempo found themselves a nice building block for the future. Kiki Rice has been a bright spot in Toronto as she has started to get more comfortable as a pro. She is especially tough on the inside as she’s making 75 percent of her field goal attempts inside of three feet. Having a guard that can break defenses down off the dribble and finish in traffic is incredibly valuable and as the Tempo prepare for their future, they know they have a great building block in Rice.
If you’ve been around Sabrina Ionescu for a while, you know that she has a bit of a short memory. Sab is always looking ahead and doesn’t let setbacks or rough moments linger too long. That mindset is especially helpful as she navigates what has, up to this point, been a tough 2026 season. With the playoffs right around the corner, she’s ready to end her season with an exclamation point.
“It’s an opportunity to finish off really strong and kind of know that I’m good,” Ionescusaid. “I don’t want to go into an offseason just thinking like, ‘Yeah, it sucks because I was hurt and it is what it is.’ But I think more knowing that there’s an opportunity to kind of rewrite this year for myself personally and the injury that I had but knowing that I can make it a lot smoother with winning.”
Sab got her post FIBA stretch off to a great start with a cool 17/3/6/3 in 30 minutes. If Ionescu can play close to that level or better every night, then the Liberty become a much more formidable opponent in the playoffs.
Player to watch: Nyara Sabally
SA-BA-LLY! SA-BA-LLY! Nyara had a tremendous time in the World Cup as she was named to the World Cup second team. When Sabally is dialed in, she checks off a lot of boxes. Good rebounding, good rolling to the basket in pick-and-rolls, good energy, etc. At just 26 years old, she has her entire career in front of her and the more she plays, the more she adds to her game.
How can the Liberty win this one?
When the Liberty are able to impose their will on the inside, good things happen. The Liberty’s size makes them one of the most difficult teams to gameplan for when they’re dialed in. Assuming Stewart and Leonie Fiebich are managed more closely, it should allow Jonquel Jones more opportunity to control the game. JJ does everything well and when she’s playing great, she singlehandedly warps a game. Similar to Ionescu, when Jones is dialed in, the Liberty’s ceiling is unquestionably higher. As New York prepares for a grueling final week, they hope to get out to a strong start against the injury ravaged Tempo so they can control the game and keep the Tempo focused on their off-season plans.
From the Vault
Happy trails to the amazing Howie Rose
More reading: Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, New York Daily News, No Cap Space, New York Post, Newsday, The Athletic, NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, The Stomp, The Post Presence, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The IX Basketball.
- New York Liberty Game Notes – New York Liberty
- Toronto Tempo Game Notes – Toronto Tempo
