The New York Liberty are back in the win column following a 109-102 victory over the Indiana Fever. Leonie Fiebich came up big with 20 points, helping the Liberty hold off a stellar Indiana backcourt led by Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.
On Thursday, the Liberty will face one of their toughest remaining tests before the WNBA’s FIBA World Cup break. New York enters the matchup at 23-15 and clinched a playoff berth on Sunday after a Fire loss.
On the other side, the Golden State Valkyries are 27-11
and have won both matchups this season.
Game Info & Broadcast Details
- Matchup: New York Liberty (23-15) vs. Golden State Valkyries (27-11)
- Date: Thursday, August 27, 2026
- Tip-off Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PST
- Venue: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)
- TV Channel: Prime Video
- Livestream: Prime Video
Head to Head: Liberty vs. Valkyries
Golden State leads the season series 2-0.
The Valkyries won the first matchup 87-70 at Barclays Center on May 21, then defeated New York 76-67 in San Francisco on June 28. That makes Thursday’s game the final regular-season meeting between the two teams — and potentially a preview of a playoff matchup.
The Liberty are hoping to put another good outing together against a playoff team. After struggling to generate consistent offense in both meetings, Thursday provides New York with one final regular-season opportunity to solve Golden State before the FIBA break.
“It’ll be a really good test for us,” Sabrina Ionescu said, “especially toward the end of the season at seeing where we’re at, what we need to improve on, what we need to work on, but also knowing our strengths and what we do offensively and really trusting in that. Not letting their defense … make us tentative or soft.”
The Liberty have the size advantage — it’s crucial they create looks for Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart. Golden State is tops in the WNBA in opponent field goal attempts inside the restricted area and opponent’s field goal percentage.
Getting into and finishing in the paint against this team is incredibly challenging and will take a lot of determination if the Liberty want to get into the paint. The Liberty are second on offense in field goal percentage inside the restricted area — they should find quality scoring opportunities on each possession.
New York has the rest advantage as well. This is New York’s first game since Saturday night while this is Golden State’s third game this week. To make matters worse for the Valkyries, they’ve been on the road all week with one more game to go… all the way in Portland. Oof.
The key tonight will be three point shooting. The Valkyries lead the WNBA in three pointers attempted per game at 30, but are seventh in percentage at 34.6 percent. How will that look on tired legs? We’re about to find out.
Note: The World Cup break is drawing closer, and players will be making their way to Berlin soon. Golden State’s Gabby Williams, Janelle Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini are among those expected to depart following this game, while New York will soon lose Breanna Stewart, Marine Johannes, Pauline Astier and Leonie Fiebich to their national teams.
Liberty vs. Valkyries Injury Report
- Liberty: Satou Sabally – Not with team (head)
- Valkyries: No players listed on the injury report
Player to Watch: Janelle Salaun
Janelle Salaün has emerged as one of Golden State’s most important offensive weapons, particularly when the Valkyries need someone to create a shot.
Salaün is second on the team in scoring and leads the Valkyries in both three-point attempts and three-point percentage. She comes off the bench and it’s no wonder why she’s the leading candidate for Sixth Player of the Year.
Salaün can get buckets from anywhere on the court, and when games slow down and scoring becomes more arduous, her ability to create her own shot will become even more valuable. Salaün only played 18 minutes last night, so we’ll see how Natalie Nakase manages her rotations tonight.
Leonie Fiebich Returns: What to Watch in Her Second Game Back
With Leonie Fiebich back in the saddle, the Liberty can start thinking of what a potential playoff rotation will be. Fiebich allows Chris DeMarco to experiment with more lineup combinations, keep two starters on the court in non-garbage time minutes at all times, and make life easier for everyone on the team. Fiebich does a lot of things at a high level, and that versatility allows the Liberty to look like their true selves. Leo’s not on a minutes restriction, so she’ll be out there for as long as she needs to be.
From the Vault
One’s in the air for Dolly Parton.
More reading: Valkyries Beat, Valkyrie Nation, 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, The Stomp, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The IX Basketball
