There’s never a good time to go into a slump. The losses pile up, frustration grows, and every mistake gets amplified. The only way out to is to win your way out of it. Unfortunately for the New York Liberty, they can’t find their way out.
The road trip continued with a primetime matchup against the Indiana Fever, one night after Caitlin Clark scored 45 points. To begin the game, the Liberty offense was as dynamic as it’s been all season. they were able to consistently find open three pointers as they took
advantage of the Fever defense.
They built an early 15-4 lead in the first quarter and used that to withstand some Indiana runs that got the game closer heading into the break.
However, things completely flipped after halftime.
New York went ice cold from the field as they went just 5-13 from the field. As a team, they scored just 12 points in the third. Kelsey Mitchell had 14 points in the third quarter alone! She led all scorers with 33 points and crossed the 30-point plateau for the fourth time this season.
The Liberty committed eight of their 17 turnovers in the third as the sold out Gainbridge Fieldhouse was on tilt after every Fever bucket. What was a four point halftime turned into a 14 point deficit at the end of the third quarter. They tried to mount a spirited fourth-quarter comeback, but the closest they could get was 13 points with 4:24 left in the quarter.
Final score: Fever 108, Liberty 88.
The loss was the Liberty’s fourth in a row and at 13-12, they are tied with the Washington Mystics for the seventh seed in the standings. They also lost Marine Johannes to an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. Her status is currently unknown.
Postgame with Chris DeMarco
Following the game, there was an extended wait before postgame press conferences began. When the Liberty finally stepped to the podium, we met a team searching for answers.
“I think the feeling after a loss like this is like we gotta find a way to kind of stop the bleeding,” Breanna Stewart said. “One loss can’t turn into two, can’t turn into three, and now four. That’s a lot, but me mentally, I’m looking at myself, you know what I mean? There’s a lot that I didn’t do well today between the the turnovers or the missed free throws or things like that. So in order for for us to be our best, I need to be better. I can definitely look at myself in the mirror and know that, but yeah, it’s tough right now.“
“It’s not just [Stewart] that’s obviously going to look inward and try to figure it out,” Jonquel Jones added. “We all are, and I think that’s what makes us good individuals. And I think we just have to put it together to be a good team. But right now we’re in it, and we’ll figure it out.”
Although Leonie Fiebich and Satou Sabally are on the road to recovery, they aren’t here now and that’s led to DeMarco searching and trying to find the right combinations. Even accounting for that, he’s looking for ways to improve.
The losses are loud and the questions are mounting for the Liberty. They’re searching for answers and the right mix that can get them back to playing great basketball. There’s still plenty of time left in the season to turn things around, but it’s rough right now.
Next Up: New York Liberty at Dallas Wings
The Liberty wrap up their road stretch in Texas against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
- Location: Dallas, TX
- Date: Monday, July 20, 2026
- Tip-off: 8:00 PM EDT
