Change Looms as Liberty Face Offseason Uncertainty

A Season of Challenges and Commitment

Even as the 2025 season came to a heartbreaking end, Breanna Stewart made it clear that her commitment to the New York Liberty was unwavering. During a press conference following the team’s loss in Phoenix, she turned to Sabrina Ionescu and declared, “Well, I’m coming back.” The moment was charged with emotion, as Ionescu nodded slightly, signaling a silent agreement between the two stars.

The Liberty's journey in 2024 was marked by high expectations and a dramatic fall from grace. After starting the season with nine consecutive wins, the team struggled with injuries and inconsistent performance, ultimately finishing fifth in the standings. Their title defense ended in the first round, where they were outmatched by the Mercury in a series that left fans and players alike devastated.

Despite the loss, Stewart gave everything she had during the final game, scoring all 14 of the Liberty’s fourth-quarter points while playing on a sprained MCL. However, her efforts weren’t enough as the team struggled offensively, going 0-for-9 from the field in the last 10 minutes of the game. The final score was 79-73, a painful reminder of what could have been.

“We’re all disappointed,” said Leonie Fiebich. “We’re all sad. We didn’t expect this season to end like this. It’s really frustrating.”

Looking Ahead: Uncertainty and Possibilities

The loss has pushed the Liberty into an offseason filled with uncertainty. The collective bargaining agreement remains unsettled, and the team will face two expansion drafts before free agency begins. This period is likely to bring significant changes, though it’s unclear whether those changes will come at the top with head coach Sandy Brondello or among the reserves.

Ionescu described the team as “really special,” but the reality is that the Liberty didn’t perform as expected. “You can’t just want to be part of it when you’re on top,” she said. “You have to be able to continue to commit and want to be the best for this organization.”

General manager Jonathan Kolb now faces the challenge of determining what’s best for the franchise moving forward. Jonquel Jones, a key player in last year’s championship run, missed a month of the season due to an injury and struggled down the stretch. She averaged just 6.1 points over the final eight games and combined for only 17 points in the first-round series.

Jones took ownership of her performance, acknowledging that others might point fingers. “You can look at me with three points tonight and point the finger at me,” she said. But she remains committed to returning in 2026.

“We know our team and the people we put in our locker room are here to stay,” she said. “And we love New York. And we want to win more championships.”

A Foundation for the Future

Several players are set to return next season, including Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who is expected to be healthy after missing most of the season due to knee surgery. Leonie Fiebich has two years left on her rookie contract, and Nyara Sabally has one. Marine Johannès and Rebekah Gardner are reserved free agents, giving the Liberty exclusive negotiating rights with them.

Other players, such as Natasha Cloud, Isabelle Harrison, Kennedy Burke, Emma Meesseman, and Stephanie Talbot, will be unrestricted free agents. Ionescu expressed her admiration for Stewart, stating that she would love to play alongside the two-time league MVP for the rest of her career.

“I don’t think there’s a player I admire more than Stewie,” Ionescu said. “She comes out every day ready to work, and she’s the best for a reason.”

Fiebich acknowledged the difficulty of dealing with the loss but remained optimistic about the future. “It would be easy to drop into negativity right now,” she said. “But I feel like with a little bit of time, we’ll appreciate the lessons we learned this season.”

Lessons Learned

This season was a reminder that even the most talented teams can struggle when things don’t go as planned. Injuries, changing roles, and lack of continuity all played a role in the Liberty’s performance. Fiebich emphasized that the team did everything they could with the opportunities they had.

“We can sleep at night knowing that we did everything we could with the opportunities we had,” she said. “It just didn’t fall our way with injuries.”