The New York Liberty look unstoppable early in the WNBA season and now sit at a perfect 7-0 after a 100-52, the second-largest victory in league history, matching a franchise record by nailing 19 three-pointers in a win over the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The team has won those seven games by a combined 144 points.
The addition of veteran guard Natasha Cloud, who the Liberty acquired in the off-season for first-round picks in April’s WNBA Draft and the 2026 draft, has been seamless. Cloud even won WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from Friday, May 16, to Sunday, May 25, averaging 18.7 points, 7.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 steals in her first three regular-season games with the team.
The balance of the Liberty last season earned the franchise its first championship, and the team looks even stronger early in this season. Forward Breanna Stewart leads the team, scoring 18.1 points per game, while guard Sabrina Ionescu is close behind, averaging 17.9. The 2024 WNBA Finals MVP center Jonquel Jones is averaging a double-double early, pulling down 11.3 rebounds per contest and adding 15.7 points. Cloud leads the team in assists with 6.9 per game.
Despite the team’s undefeated record, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello responded “Everything” when asked what the team needs to improve on after last week’s 82-77 win over the Golden State Valkyries, to which the media members laughed before she provided more specific details.
“Never satisfied, only because I know the potential that this team has had, and I think they see it, too,” she said. “We can be so much better at putting together more consistency throughout the game. We’ve had bad third quarters; that hasn’t been great for us. Defensively, I think that’s an area where you’re still trying to get a feel for that and how to do that better.
“Rebounding — that’s a big one for us at the moment,” continued Brondello, who is in her third season with the Liberty after leading the Phoenix Mercury for eight. “We’re not offensive rebounding, either, so we have to do better. Teams are getting more offensive rebounds against us. We don’t want that. We’re giving up too many threes, too, so our scramble defense isn’t quite where it needs to be.”
Saying “that’s a lot about defense,” Brondello added, “We were a great defensive team in the playoffs, and that’s why we won against Minnesota (in last year’s finals), because against the tough teams, you have to find a way to get a stop, because sometimes the basket dries up a little bit and certainly did in that series.”
Brondello is right, and in the most challenging game of the season thus far, a two-point road win against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on May 24, Cloud was able to prevent Clark from getting a shot off as time expired.
The Liberty face the Washington Mystics tonight on the road and return to the Barclays Center to host Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on Tuesday.