The New York Liberty hit the road for a four game road trip. First up, a date with the Dallas Wings
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
A loss in more ways than one. The New York Liberty lost to the Los Angeles Sparks on a Rickea Jackson buzzer beater on Saturday night, but that was the least of their problems. More on that below.
The opponent tonight is looking to figure things out on the go. It’s been a tough season for the Dallas Wings, but they hope a great stretch can turn things around before the season ends. They faced the Las Vegas Aces at home yesterday, but lost 106-80.
Where to follow the game
ESPN is the place to be. Tip after 8:00 p.m. ET.
Injuries
Breanna Stewart left Saturday’s game with a lower leg injury. Madeline Kenney of the New York Post reported that Stewie had imaging done on her right leg, which showed she avoided “significant injury.” She’ll be out for tonight. The same for Nyara Sabally, who the team will be out for the next two to three weeks out of precaution. Kennedy Burke didn’t play in the second half due to cramping. She’ll be back tonight.
Paige Bueckers didn’t play yesterday due to rest purposes. We’ll see if she’s back tonight.
The game
This is the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Three point shooting has historically been seen Natasha Cloud’s weakness. However, she keeps proving us wrong. On Saturday, Tash went 3-of-7 from 3-point range as she fought to get the team back in the game. Cloud is shooting 38.7% from three in the past ten games, and if Tash is able to score early and often, the Liberty offense will be in tremendous shape. With Stewie out, look for Tash to take on more of the scoring load.
Li Yeuru wanted more playing time after she requested a trade from the Seattle Storm, and so far in her time in Dallas, she’s gotten it. Li has started 11 of her 14 games in Dallas and is averaging over 20 minutes a night. Curiously, she hasn’t crossed the 20 minute mark in each of the past two games. Considering she’ll be matched up with Jonquel Jones tonight, that ought to change.
Speaking of JJ, she’s looking more and more comfortable now that she’s back. She had 14/8/4 in 28 minutes on Saturday night, and Sandy Brondello might have to ask the Finals MVP to do a bit more with Stewart and Sabally out. It’s something she can certainly handle and as she’s building herself back up to peak form, games like this will help her get there.
It’s never easy to be a first year head coach. All eyes are on you, every mistake gets magnified, and fans often start pining for your replacement when things don’t go well. That’s what Chris Koclanes is dealing with currently, and with fans doing stuff like this
I’ve seen twice now on the big screen moments where Wings fans have been shown with shirts/signs saying phrases along the lines of “We Want Nola” aka assistant coach Nola Henry.
No *crazy* reaction, but some cheers both times. @nocapspacewbb.com
— Tyler DeLuca (@tylerdeluca.bsky.social) 2025-07-27T20:52:11.871Z
It doesn’t get any easier. Just gotta be steady and keep working
Player to watch: Arike Ogunbowale
The talent is certainly there, but the results haven’t been what you hoped. This is her sixth season in the WNBA, but she hasn’t had one of those big time, superstar seasons. Arike has been the centerpiece of the Wings attack since she was drafted in 2019, and has been the one constant in a consistently shifting environment for the Wings. She’s at career lows in points, field goal percentage, and three point percentage. Some of that was due to an injury that kept her out of action for a little while. However, you do start to get concerned that Ogunbowale might not be the centerpiece of a team that will be a consistent contender. Curt Miller and the new Wings management are in their first year here, but sometimes time moves faster than you realize.
Sabrina Ionescu continues to find a way. With Stewart out, Ionescu took on more of the scoring load and cashed in with 30 points. Sabrina continues to make her way downhill and find quality rim attempts within the flow of the offense. The team will need her to find her shot even more with Stewart out, and it’s something she can definitely do. The Wings allow teams to shoot 36.6% from 3-point range, second highest mark in the WNBA. If they fall asleep out there tonight, Sab will make them pay for it.
From the Vault
It’s Summerslam week, so you know what we about
More reading: Mavs Moneyball, Words on Wings, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, New York Daily News, No Cap Space, New York Post, The Athletic, NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The Next