Liberty Lose Two More vs. Mystics
It's business as usual for the New York Liberty in the most painful way possible.
Prior to Thursday's game against the Washington Mystics (7 p.m. ET, My9/Prime Video), head coach Sandy Brondello revealed that the Liberty injury report expanded to its usual length: in addition to the continued absences of Natasha Cloud (nose) and Nyara Sabally (knee), the Liberty will go without All-Stars Sabrina Ionescu (toe) and Jonquel Jones (illnesss).
Thus continues a brutal season of medical luck for the Liberty (23-15) who are once again ailing as the regular season winds down. Entering Thursday night play, New York sits in fifth on the current WNBA bracket, but is two games behind runner-up Las Vegas with six contest left on their docket.
“Welcome to the New York Liberty, 2025," Brondello said with a smirk, trying to make the best of the situation. So prevalent have the injuries been for the Liberty in their 2025 championship defense that Marine Johannes is the only player to appear in all 38 games to date.
Ionescu will sit for the second in three games after enduring a lower-body ailment when Kamilla Cardoso landed on her foot during a tangle-up for a loose ball in last Thursday's game against the Chicago Sky. Brondello said that Ionescu was ailing after Wednesday's practice and the decision was made to hold her out.
Things are a bit emotional for Jones, who previously missed ensured a lengthy, early-summer departure with ankle woes: born in the Bahamas, Jones will sit as the Liberty celebrate West Indies Night at Barclays Center.
The day actually began with a shrunken injury report, as only Cloud was ruled out after missing the prior game on Monday against Connecticut with a "slight fracture" in her nose. New York is also due to get back Isabelle Harrison, who will presumably take the floor for the first time since Aug. 10 after some time off in concussion protocol.
New York does get a day to recover in the aftermath, as a late three-game road trip will tip off in Phoenix on Saturday night.
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.