Liberty Face Uphill Battle For More In-Season Glory
When it comes to further in-season glory, the New York Liberty will have to get by with a little help from their friends.
A 102-88 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Fever on Saturday, the Liberty's first loss of the season, hasn't done too much to alter seafoam vibes, with New York reps remaining generally optimistic in the aftermath. It has, however, put a wrench in their plans to earn another victory at the Commissioner's Cup, the WNBA's in-season competition that has featured New York in its championship finale in each of the last two years.
Entering Tuesday night, the final staging of Commissioner's Cup pool play, the Liberty, Fever, and Atlanta Dream are all eligible for the championship spot afforded to the Eastern Conference. The Liberty, in fact, faces the Dream at Barclays Center for the first time this season (7 p.m. ET, WWOR) while Indiana faces the Connecticut Sun at home.
When it comes to the Commissioner's Cup, a lot will hinge on the Liberty-Dream game: Atlanta will get the bid with a win while the Liberty will need a win and some help, having lost the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to the weekend's loss in Indianapolis. The Fever has lost to the reeling Sun this season but that game was staged without the services of WNBA face Caitlin Clark, who put up 32 points in Indiana's weekend win over the Liberty.
New York head coach Sandy Brondello rolled with the punch when asked about the somewhat dire implications of Saturday's loss.
"It is what it is," Brondello remarked. "It's nothing that we can change. We'd love to be there and obviously we're going to have to have some massive help on our side. But, in the end, it's about being the best team at the end of the season and that's what we've got to make sure we continue to focus on."
New York won the 2023 Commissioner's Cup final over the Las Vegas Aces before the latter took revenge in the same season's WNBA Finals. The Liberty reversed their fortunes last time around, falling to the Minnesota Lynx in the most recent early summer classic and capturing their first postseason championship against the same foe nearly four months later.
In the West, Minnesota can clinch a return trip to the final with a win over the Aces on Tuesday night. If they fall, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal the bid if they handle business against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.