Didn’t have it and honestly, might not have it in the end. The New York Liberty began their latest western swing on Saturday night in Phoenix and let go of the rope in the fourth quarter on the way to a disappointing loss
to the Phoenix Mercury. The L cost them the season series against Phoenix and their path to home court advantage in the early rounds is all but finished barring something unforeseen.The opponent tonight has been one of the biggest surprises in basketball. The Golden State Valkyries
have exceeded every single expectation possible and find themselves knocking on the door of a playoff spot. They hosted the Indiana Fever on Sunday night and came away with another impressive victory. They’re closing in on a playoff berth, which would be a tremendous accomplishment and a sign of great things to come.
Where to follow the game
MY9 on TV. Liberty Live and FOX Local on streaming for the locals. League Pass for the out-of-towners. Late night so we getting started after 10 PM.
Injuries
Sabrina Ionescu missed Saturday’s game with a left toe injury. The team hopes she will be back tonight as she is listed as questionable. Nyara Sabally was doing some on court work in Phoenix, and has been upgraded to questionable.
Kayla Thornton is out for the season as she recovers from knee surgery. Tiffany Hayes missed Sunday’s game with a leg injury and will miss this game as well. Same for Cecilia Zandalasini as she is dealing with a left calf injury. Monique Billings is back after being out with a right ankle injury.
The game
New York won games one, two, and three. This is the final regular season meeting between the two teams.
This is the third game in four nights for the Valkyries. Fortunately for them, they’ve all been at home so the travel impacts are eliminated. They also had five days off between games in this stretch so they were able to get some much needed rest in between. That said, it’s still a lot on the team’s shoulders and they’re gonna try to fight through the fatigue and get to the regular season finish line.
For New York, the objectives now are two-fold. First and most importantly, get healthy! If this group is able to stay healthy for about two months, they can get hot and go on another big-time run. Secondly, they need to get real reps with what might be their playoff lineups. Quick, do you want to guess what their most used five player lineup is this season?
Still guessing?
drumroll
The answer, clocking in at 123 minutes is
- Emma Meesseman
- Natasha Cloud
- Jonquel Jones
- Sabrina Ionescu
- Leonie Fiebich
And if you’re wondering how it compares to the past two years, New York’s top lineup in 2023 played 522 minutes and the top lineup in 2024 played 246 minutes. Real live reps are needed so we can see what does and doesn’t work for the Liberty. The season is longer, but they have a lot less time.
One thing about the Valks that will help the Libs is their propensity to turn the ball over. Golden State has the third highest turnover rate in the W this season. They do a great job of getting back in transition and limiting fast break opportunities, so the Liberty will need to make the most out of those chances when they get them.
We keep saying it, and until it’s corrected, we’re gonna have to keep saying it: The Liberty are terrible on the glass and it’s going to be one of the things that dooms their repeat dreams if they don’t correct it. It’s been a problem all season long and when you have to defend second, third, sometimes fourth chance opportunities, it adds up and saps what little bits of energy you have left. No rebounds, no rings, and Breanna Stewart has publicly declared that the time for championship level play is now
Simple as that.
Speaking of Stewie, she made two three pointers in a game for the first time since June 25 against the Valkyries in Golden State. If New York wants to make it far in the playoffs, they’re going to need Stewart to consistently make those shots. If she can’t, the room her teammates has to operate shrinks considerably.
Player to watch: Veronica Burton
Say hello to the likely winner of the Most Improved Player! VB has gotten her chance to shine in Golden State and has made the absolute most of it. She’s at career highs across the board and even with that, the support she’s gotten from head coach Natalie Nakase has meant the most to her.
“The element of trust that my coach has in me,” she told The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II, “it instilled in me just a different type of confidence. … I think that’s every point guard’s dream. And it challenges me in a way that I haven’t been challenged before. But I love it. Every part about it. I’ve wanted it, and I’m just grateful to have it right now.”
She’s got it and then some.
Natasha Cloud has a slight fracture in her nose, which means she has to wear a mask. Luckily, it’s the cool as hell black mask!
That’s fly as hell. In the meantime, Tash will look to get the Liberty rolling downhill again. The team doesn’t take as many shots in the restricted area as they should, and they’re going to need to get those attempts in the painted area so they can fully open up the offense. If Cloud can get into the paint, the threes will open up for players like Fiebich and Kennedy Burke on the perimeter. Even if they don’t, rim attempts are always what you want and can help your team get to the free throw line. New York has two weeks to iron out various details on both sides of the ball, and a game like tonight is the perfect place to start.
From the Vault
Ones in the air for Mike
And in honor of Tash’s black mask, let’s take it back to one of my favorite black mask games
More reading: Team Thirteen Valkyries Blog, Valkyrie Nation, The Valkyries Blog, Swish Appeal, Chicago Sun Times, Women’s Basketball Roundup, No Cap Space, Newsday, NY Liberty Fan TV, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next
