The New York Liberty brought home their first-ever WNBA championship during the 2024 season, and the title hangover has been real. After starting 9-0, the team now sits at 11-5 after the Commissioner's Cup.
This means that they have lost five of their last seven games, including four of their last five. They will ride a two-game losing streak into Thursday's contest against the Los Angeles Sparks as they try to get back on the right track.
Still, New York clings to third place in the league standings and first place in the Eastern Conference. And based on this one key WNBA statistic, there is no reason for Liberty fans to panic, as they are still among the elite teams in the league.
Liberty's rough patch does not deny them of elite status
According to the WNBA's official stats, the Liberty have a net rating of -7.6 over their last seven games, which is just 11th-best in the league. Over the course of the season, however, New York still has the second-best net rating in the league at 9.8, trailing only the 14-2 Minnesota Lynx.
While it may be frustrating for both the team and fans to be enduring such a brutal stretch, the fact remains that, overall, they are still a frontrunner for the 2025 title. To be playing so poorly for nearly half the season and still be ranked second is truly an incredible feat.
The team has not struggled this much, however, since head coach Sandy Brondello's first season in New York, when New York went 16-20. Since acquiring Breanna Stewart in 2023, the Liberty have gone a combined 32-8. Currently, the Liberty are on pace for just 30 wins and 14 losses this season.
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This record would still be plenty good enough to make the playoffs, and they may even have home-court advantage through the first two rounds of the postseason. However, the team still has plenty of work to do as they work their way out of this rut.
Part of the issue has been Jonquel Jones' inconsistent availability as she deals with injuries, as well as starting forward Leonie Fiebich's absence due to her playing for Germany in EuroBasket. With everyone returning to the lineup, however, things should smooth out once again for New York.
The Liberty take on the struggling Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday evening, which will be a great opportunity for the team to get back on the right track. This will also be the beginning of an eight-game home stretch.