The core of the New York Liberty team that won a championship in 2024, forward Breanna Stewart, center Jonquel Jones, and guard Sabrina Ionescu are all back and at the heart of arguably the best roster in the league. The franchise also added Ionescu’s college teammate, explosive forward Satou Sabally, who averaged 16.3 points per game a season ago for the Phoenix Mercury, who eliminated the Liberty in the playoffs last season.
The Liberty are led by new head coach Chris DeMarco, a 40-year-old former Golden State Warriors assistant from 2012-2026. DeMarco was hired in December to replace Sandy Brondello, whose contract was not renewed. Brondello, now the head coach of the expansion Toronto Tempo, guided the Liberty to their 2024 title and started last season 9-0 before injuries plagued the team, resulting in a first-round playoff exit.
Although they were 2-0 going into Tuesday night’s road game versus the Portland Fire — another first-year WNBA franchise — New York has begun this season with key players sidelined. They won their home opener against the Connecticut Sun last Friday at the Barclays Center by 106-75 and defeated the Mystics in Washington on Sunday by 98-93 without Ionescu and Sabally. Ionescu suffered a left foot/ankle injury on May 3 and has yet to make her season debut and Sabally has not played due to a cyst.
However, guard/forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has returned after missing all of last season with a knee injury. While Laney-Hamilton works back into form, the team is eagerly looking forward to Ionesu and Sabally getting back into action — notably the newcomer.
“Adding Satou to a pretty loaded roster already is really exciting,” said Stewart last week prior to the season opener. “I think that the biggest part from that is now, when it looks good on paper, making it actually look good on the court, and we’ve all really been invested in doing that in training camp and having a selfless mentality.”
DeMarco has also laid out his vision for the team.
“I think more than anything, I want to be connected,” he said ahead of the Liberty’s first game. “I want to be unselfish, and I want to compete, so those are the three things we’re focused on. I want our opponents to feel that, and I want our fans to see that. … If we’re competing, we’re giving effort every night, and if we’re connected, every [opposing] team feels that and the fans feel it.”
The Liberty will meet the Fire in Portland again tonight and return to Barclays Center next Thursday to host the Golden State Valkyries.