The New York Liberty, once the preseason favorites for the WNBA title, are currently staring down the barrel of a major disappointment, sitting as the No. 8 seed if the playoffs started right now. Just Thursday night in Brooklyn, any lingering optimism after a recent win was completely wiped out by a brutal 79-60 loss to the Golden State Valkyries, a result that left Liberty guard Rebecca Allen utterly “disappointed” and “a little bit embarrassed.”
Falling Off The Cliff: Preseason Hype to Playoff Longshot
This team, man, they were supposed to be unstoppable. Everyone, and I mean *everyone*, had them pegged as title favorites before the season even kicked off. And at the halfway point, even with a shaky 13-9 start, plenty of us still believed. But the wheels have seriously come off. Since then, they’ve gone a mediocre 10-7, and despite a decent 7-3 record in August, that golden championship glow is gone. Midseason, they had the third-best odds to win it all at +390, right behind the Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces. Now? FanDuel has them all the way down at +1300, stuck as the sixth favorite. Talk about a freefall! Losing by nineteen points at home, like they did against the Valkyries, that’s just a gut punch no matter how you slice it. Rebecca Allen put it plain: “I just don’t think we should ever lose like that on our home court.” She called it “a bit of a step backwards” and you can feel that frustration.
The Missing Piece: Sabally’s Impact and a Team Derailed
Remember the hype in the offseason? The Liberty looked like they absolutely stole the show by signing three-time All-Star Satou Sabally in free agency. Adding her to a lineup that already boasted championship-caliber talent like Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu, it felt like an embarrassment of riches, right? But injuries have completely derailed what could have been. Sabally, man, she’s been battling. She suffered a concussion in the WNBA Finals last season with the Phoenix Mercury, and she was still dealing with those lingering effects, plus an unrelated cyst, when the season started. She’s only managed to play in 13 games this season. Think about that. How do you build chemistry, how do you live up to that “favorites” tag, when a crucial piece like that is sidelined? Yeah, Leonie Fiebich just returned from her own seven-week layoff due to a left foot injury, dropping 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a 109-102 win over the Indiana Fever on August 22. Her return even helped them clinch a postseason spot thanks to a Portland Fire loss the next day! Fiebich was key to their 2024 championship run, and for a hot second, it felt like they were getting back on track. But then that Valkyries loss happened, and it’s clear they are still not where they need to be.
One Last Shot Before the Break
With just five games left in the regular season, the clock is seriously ticking for the Liberty to turn this around. They’ve got one final chance to try and go into the FIBA break on a positive note. This Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. ET, they host the Chicago Sky. It’s on CBS and Paramount+. This isn’t just another game; it’s a statement. Can they show some fight? Can they prove they’re still contenders, even if they’re now longshots? Every possession is going to matter if they want to escape that No. 8 seed and build any momentum for a real postseason run. Fans are looking for something, anything, to believe in again.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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