No Cap Space WBB Team Previews: New York Liberty
The Liberty, at long last, won their first WNBA championship last season. Can New York repeat with the entirety of the league loading up to stop them?
At long last, the New York Liberty won the WNBA title that had eluded them since the formation of the league. So many close calls, almost-wins and what-if’s later, the Liberty are the team everyone else is chasing. It’s exactly what owner Joe Tsai was hoping for when he authorized the big swing of trading for Jonquel Jones and signing Breanna Stewart in free agency to pair with Sabrina Ionescu. Like many visionaries that have come before him, at the pro and collegiate level, Tsai has shown that if you invest properly, the wins and attention will follow.
The Liberty now have a target on their back as the defending champion, especially considering Minnesota will be hungry for revenge given how the Finals ended in Game 5. But New York made some interesting moves to shore up their bench and look ready and eager to defend their title.
2024 Lookback:
32-8 Overall (4-1 Commissioner’s Cup)
Won WNBA Finals vs. Minnesota, 3-2
2024 Leaders:
Breanna Stewart: 20.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.5 APG
Sabrina Ionescu: 18.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.2 APG
Jonquel Jones: 14.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.2 APG
Who Left:
Kayla Thornton (Golden State Valkyries via Expansion Draft)
Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky via free agency)
Ivana Dojkic (Did not sign qualifying offer)
Who’s Back:
Kennedy Burke
Marquesha Davis
Leonie Fiebich
Sabrina Ionescu
Jonquel Jones
Nyara Sabally
Jaylyn Sherrod
Breanna Stewart
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (our for season with injury)
Draft Picks:
Adja Kane (Round 3, Pick 38)
Who’s New:
Natasha Cloud (Connecticut Sun via trade)
Rebekah Gardner (signed via free agency)
2025 Strengths:
The Liberty won the title last year on their frontcourt depth and versatility. Trying to find matchups for Stewie and Jones is a herculean task on its’ own. But once we factor in the revelation that 6’4 forward Leonie Fiebich proved to be as well as 6’5 Nyara Sabally’s leap in the Finals, it becomes nearly impossible. Whatever quibbles people want to have with New York’s backcourt, there is absolutely no doubt where the strength of this team is. While Sabally is a bit more of a traditional back-to-basket big, Fiebich, Stewie and Jones have the ability to space the floor while still presenting matchup problems inside. There is, to put it simply, very few teams that have the personnel to defend the interior. If both Fiebich and Sabally make another jump this year, it could, as Tyler likes to say ‘get wicked’. Oh, and they added Izzy Harrison for a little bit of extra depth. Tough gig.
Now, Chauny might tell you that a certain former Oregon guard is a weakness to this Liberty team and not a strength. But luckily for you, dear New York fan reading, I am in charge of the previews and I happen to believe mightily in one Sabrina Ionescu. Is the 1-19 performance meme-worthy? Yes. Does it add quite a bit of context that she had a finger injury so bad it required postseason surgery? Absolutely. Whatever you think of how long it took for her to get to this place, it’s clear to anyone that isn’t ethically hating that Ionescu is a star in this league. Does she have it in her to be a super star? This would be the year to find out. She’ll get some help with Natasha Cloud running the point, a definite upgrade for New York from a scoring and distribution perspective. There’s always been a question about what exactly Sabrina’s natural position is in this league. Is she a point that can facilitate an offense out of the pick-n-roll? Or is she more of a two-guard who needs a point to run with? The addition of Cloud seems to indicate that her final form in this league may not be the triple-double machine that she was at Oregon but instead a potentially perennial All-WNBA scorer.
2025 Weaknesses:
Outside of the starting backcourt, I am a little bit concerned about how deep New York is at the guard spot. Jaylyn Sherrod is a friend of No Cap Space and fellow CU Buff so I’m always gonna ride for one of Boulder’s favorite daughters. But from a basketball perspective, I’m curious how she fits with Marine Johannes who is back after a one year stint in France. Both of them can run the point, so do you utilize them both and then have Marquesha Davis, Kennedy Burke and Rebekah Gardner fill the gap? The loss of Kayla Thornton is an underratedly big one too given her contributions during last years’ title run. And to top that off, the injury to Betnijah Laney-Hamilton adds to the question of who will step up defensively on the wing and agains the elite shooting guards of the league.
Luckily, there’s plenty of depth and talent that head coach Sandy Brondello can make something shake.
2025 Outlook:
Honestly, the Liberty are still the team to beat in the WNBA. Ionescu, for all the flack she gets, is a top five guard in the league. Whether or not you think she’s a superstar or was worthy of the crowning she received when she entered the league is something we can easily debate. In fact, we do it frequently on here and in our No Cap Space WBB groupchat. But the undisputable fact is that she’s a top end guard in the league and can very easily be considered the third of the New York Big Three, as was intended when Jonathan Kolb put the roster together.
Somehow, they managed to upgrade their backcourt with Cloud, who has had put together two great seasons back-to-back. Ionescu will be back, fully healthy and with an entire offseason of rest. Stewie and Jones are just that, MVP caliber talents who present problems anytime they step on the floor. What set the Liberty apart last year was the development of their depth pieces. Fiebich, Thornton and Sabally all played integral roles in the title chase. They’re going to need similar contributions out of new faces like Harrison, Burke and young their young guards. Sandy Brondello, for all the flack she’s taken (particularly from me in 2023), has proven herself to be the right steward for this franchise and seems to have this group all paddling in the same direction.
While everyone will be gunning for the champs, the Liberty have reason enough to have a chip on their shoulder as well. Given how Game 5 ended, there is a not insignificant part of the women’s basketball fandom that believes the Lynx probably should have won the series. If New York is truly one of the greats, they’ll channel whatever they can find, however small the social media account talking crap about their title, and use it as fuel to power a “no one believes in us” tour. That’s how you keep the train going. Just ask Kirby Smart and Nick Saban.
Failed to mention loss of Laney-Hamilton who gave the Liberty defensive toughness and experience at the 3 (they don’t beat minny w/o her). Now given Thornton gone, who replaces those minutes with only one strong defender (Cloud) on perimeter?