You take what you can get. The New York Liberty did their best to give the game away against the Phoenix Mercury, but they did just enough to hang on and escape with a two point victory. They’ve won four out of their last five games and are trying to climb out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves.
The opponent tonight is looking toward the future. The Seattle Storm are in the midst of another losing streak, but they’ve been competitive. They were on the road Friday night and gave the Atlanta Dream
a fight, but ultimately fell short. The losing streak currently sits at eight games.
Game Info and Broadcast details
- Matchup: New York Liberty (16-13) vs. Seattle Storm
- Date: Monday, August 3, 2026
- Tip-off Time: 7 PM EST / 4 PM PST
- Venue: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)
- TV Channel: Peacock
- Livestream: Peacock
Liberty vs. Storm Injury Report: Who’s out?
Liberty injury status:
- Out – Leonie Fiebich (left foot soreness)
- Out – Satou Sabally (concussion protocol)
Seattle Storm injury status:
- Out – Tiana Mair (coach’s decision)
The Game
Seattle won the first matchup (99-88 on June 25).
The WNBA trade deadline has passed, and the Liberty stood pat. It was a bit surprising considering the struggles they’ve had recently, but it appears nothing presented itself. There were plenty of rumors surrounding Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and now that the deadline is passed, we’ll see if Chris DeMarco will insert her back into the rotation.
We’ll do our best to dig into why the team didn’t make any moves, and if/when Liberty personnel talk with the press, we’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, the Liberty hope to have a somewhat comfortable win for the first time in a while. The last four have been by: one point, one point, four points, and two points. I tend to believe that teams that have to consistently sweat out regular season wins are mediocre and due for an early playoff exit, but maybe the Liberty will surprise me this fall.
Sabrina Ionescu finding the magic touch has helped the Liberty get back on the right track. She’s scored at least 20 points in their last four victories and she’s finally gotten her three-point percentage to around league average levels. Prior to the win against the Dallas Wings, Sabrina was shooting under 30 percent from deep on the season. When she’s got her three-pointers going, it makes her drives that much more impactful and purposeful.
Natisha Hiedeman has been a pleasant surprise for Sonia Raman and the Storm coaching staff. She’s starting for the first time since 2023, and with the increased responsibilities on her shoulders, is at a career best 16.4 points per game on .457/.346/.843 shooting splits. As Seattle looks to build their team of the future, maybe Hiedeman will play a part in it.
Breanna Stewart missed the first matchup for rest purposes and will be looking to carry her excellent July into this new month. Last month, she averaged around 26 points and eight rebounds a game on .515/.433/.821 shooting splits in 36 minutes a night. Your best players always step up when more is asked of them, and Stewart has been doing what she can to pull the Liberty out of their rut and higher in the standings. She missed the first meeting against the Storm and hopes to make things hard on them tonight.
Player to watch: Dominique Malonga
The Storm’s future is incredibly bright with Malonga in tow. The young star made her first All-Star appearance this season and has been Seattle’s best player for much of this season. She does everything at a high level on the court and at just 20 years old, has an incredibly bright future ahead of her. In the first meeting, Dom gave the Liberty problems in the first matchup, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Seattle’s length and rebounding ability make this a dangerous matchup. New York’s ability to contain Malonga and control the glass will likely determine the outcome.
How can the Liberty slow down Malonga?
If the Liberty want to accomplish anything this year, they need big time play from Jonquel Jones. When JJ is engaged on both sides of the court, she wrecks gameplans and is someone you have to account for on every possession. When she’s not, she becomes lost in the flow of the game and you start to forget she’s even on the court. DeMarco and the coaching staff will need to find ways to make Malonga uncomfortable throughout the game.
For tonight, that means staying out of foul trouble, making Malonga work hard on defense, and helping the Liberty control the glass. New York was outrebounded by 11 in the first game, and they can’t afford a repeat of that tonight. With this being their first home game in a while, they want to give the Barclays Center faithful plenty to cheer for as they race toward the FIBA World Cup break.
From the Vault
Still thinking about The Summerslam!
More reading: Storm Chasers, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, New York Post, New York Daily News, Newsday, The Stomp, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, ESPN, and The IX Basketball
