WNBA season preview: Is the New York Liberty’s championship window still open?

TL;DR

The New York Liberty face challenges in the 2026 WNBA season after a disappointing 2025, including injuries to key players like Sabrina Ionescu. With a new head coach, Chris DeMarco, the team must improve to keep their championship window open.

Key points

New York Liberty lost in the WNBA Finals in 2023
The team won the championship in 2024
In 2025, the Liberty were eliminated in the opening round
Sabrina Ionescu is starting the season with an ankle injury
Chris DeMarco is the new head coach for the Liberty

New York LibertyPhoenix MercuryWNBA

Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart. | NBAE via Getty Images Time is fleeting. And moments and eras are even harder to decipher. Most of the time, the lines of demarcation are established long after the time has passed, meaning that when you are in it, you don’t realize when it’s over. Perhaps, that’s where things currently stand for the New York Liberty. A team trying hard to hold on to a moment that’s already gone. In 2023, they lost in the WNBA Finals, but in 2024, they reached their ultimate goal and brought a championship to New York. However, 2025 was a disappointment. The Liberty fizzled out in the opening round, losing to the Phoenix Mercury. Such defeats have consequences for teams with high standards, so the Liberty moved on from Sandy Brondello, releasing her after four years as head coach. Now, Chris DeMarco is in charge, and he has the task of trying to get New York back to glory. The question is: What challenges stand in the way, and how can they be overcome?

Finding health and holding off Father Time will be key for the Liberty

One of the most important aspects of sports success often doesn’t get talked about? Health. Having key players available will have a huge impact on who wins it all. Last year, the Lynx lost Napheesa Collier at the end of Game 3 against the Mercury in the semifinals and were eliminated in four games. The Fever lost Caitlin Clark early in the season, and she never came back. Both teams would’ve loved to have had their best players available, and perhaps their season would have gone the other way if they could’ve played. We’ll never know, and that’s the harsh reality of competitive basketball. While injuries can happen at any moment, being older doesn’t help. With age, it becomes that much harder to come back from injuries. Recovery times get exaggerated, and then when you do come back, how close are you to the version of yourself that’s expected? Breanna Stewart is now 31 years old, and will turn 32 before the end of the 2026 season. She has plenty of miles on those legs as she enter her 10th season in the WNBA. Last year, she also had knee issues that plagued her during the regular season and postseason. While she gave a valiant effort in the playoffs, she was clearly not 100 percent. Can her body hold up this year? Even younger players, however, are not immune from the vagaries of health and injury. Case in point, Sabrina Ionescu will miss the start of the season with an ankle injury. While Ionescu avoiding a major injury is a sigh of relief for the Liberty, it does set the team back, as they are without their star guard at the beginning of a new season under a different head coach. Other injuries can arise, with key players like and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton not exactly being spring chickens. New addition not only has battled nagging injuries throughout her career, but she’s also coming off a severe concussion. Monitoring minutes and hoping for health will be even more important for the Liberty than for other, younger teams.

Q&A

What challenges does the New York Liberty face in the 2026 WNBA season?

The Liberty must address player health issues, particularly with Sabrina Ionescu's ankle injury and Breanna Stewart's age-related concerns, while adapting to a new coaching strategy.

How did the New York Liberty perform in the previous WNBA seasons?

The Liberty reached the WNBA Finals in 2023 but lost, won the championship in 2024, and then were eliminated in the opening round in 2025.

What is at stake for the New York Liberty in the 2026 season?

The Liberty need to succeed this season to avoid a potential rebuild, as failing to win could lead to significant changes within the franchise.

Can Sabrina Ionescu return to elite 3-point shooting form?

Ionescu needs to increase her shooting volume and accuracy to regain her status as an elite 3-point shooter, which is crucial for the Liberty's success.