Honestly, if you just glance at a New York Liberty box score from the end of the 2025 season, you’re missing the actual drama.
Basketball is funny like that. On paper, things look clean. But the 2025 campaign for the Liberty was anything but. Coming off that historic 2024 championship—the one where they finally broke the 28-year curse in a gritty Game 5 overtime thriller against Minnesota—the expectations were basically "dynasty or bust."
They didn't get the dynasty. Not yet, anyway.
The Box Score Numbers That Defined 2025
The final meaningful box score of the Liberty's 2025 season came on September 17, 2025. It was an 86-60 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in Game 2 of the first round. Looking at that specific New York Liberty box score, you see the story of a team that just ran out of gas.
Breanna Stewart, who had been the pillar of the franchise, struggled with a knee injury that clearly limited her. She looked human, which is weird to say about Stewie. Then you have Jonquel Jones, who finished that game with 7 points but a massive 13 rebounds. She was doing the dirty work, but the scoring punch just vanished when it mattered most.
👉 See also: Meaning of Grand Slam: Why We Use It for Tennis, Baseball, and Breakfast
Key Season Averages (Regular Season)
- Breanna Stewart: 18.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG
- Sabrina Ionescu: 13.6 PPG, 5.7 APG
- Jonquel Jones: 13.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG
- Team Scoring: 84.4 PPG (Ranked 5th in the league)
It’s easy to get lost in the stats. You see the 27-17 record and think, "Hey, that's pretty good." And it was! They finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference. But for a team that went 32-8 the year before, it felt like they were constantly fighting uphill.
Why the Box Score Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
A box score is a skeleton. It doesn’t tell you about the chemistry shifts. In 2025, the Liberty added Natasha Cloud, which was a huge move. She brought that defensive edge they needed, leading the team with 49 steals.
But adding a high-usage guard like Cloud changes the rhythm. Sabrina Ionescu’s scoring dipped to 13.6 per game. Was she deferring too much? Maybe. Or maybe the league finally figured out how to shadow her after her 2024 explosion.
Then there's the coaching. Sandy Brondello, the woman who delivered New York its first ring, is gone. The team decided not to renew her contract in September 2025. That was a shocker for a lot of fans. You don't usually see a championship coach out the door that quickly.
✨ Don't miss: NFL Week 5 2025 Point Spreads: What Most People Get Wrong
The Chris DeMarco Era
By December 2025, the Liberty hired Chris DeMarco. He’s a Golden State Warriors assistant with four NBA rings. The front office is basically saying, "We want the Warriors' DNA in Brooklyn." This move is a clear signal that the Tsai family is willing to shake things up to get back to the Finals in 2026.
Breaking Down the "Bad" Games
If you look back at the August 23, 2025, box score against Atlanta, the Liberty lost 78-62. It was ugly.
- They shot terribly from deep.
- The bench production was almost non-existent.
- Turnovers were in the high teens.
These are the games that cost them the top seed. While the Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces were humming along, the Liberty had these weird lapses. They’d beat a great team by 20 and then lose to a sub-.500 team three days later.
What to Watch for in the 2026 Box Scores
We are currently heading into the 2026 season, and the roster is in a bit of a flux due to the expansion draft. With teams like the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire joining the mix, the Liberty had to make some tough protection choices.
🔗 Read more: Bethany Hamilton and the Shark: What Really Happened That Morning
Fortunately, both Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart were ineligible for the expansion draft because they had already exhausted their "core" eligibility. That’s a massive win for New York.
The real question for the 2026 box score is going to be Leonie Fiebich. The German international was a revelation in the 2024 playoffs, and her role expanded significantly in 2025. If she takes another leap, she becomes the "Big Fourth" that makes this team unguardable.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're tracking the Liberty this year, don't just look at the points column.
- Watch the Assist/Turnover Ratio: When this team is at its best, they move the ball. In 2025, they were 2nd in the league in assists (21.8 per game). If that number stays high under DeMarco, they’ll be fine.
- Check the "Points in the Paint": Jonquel Jones is a free agent. If the Liberty retain her (which GM Jonathan Kolb says is the goal), their interior dominance remains their biggest advantage.
- Keep an eye on Sabrina’s shooting percentage: She doesn't need to score 25, but she needs to be efficient. Her FG% has fluctuated, and for the Liberty to win another title, she needs to stay around that 43-45% mark.
The 2025 season was a reality check. The 2024 championship wasn't a fluke, but it also wasn't a guarantee of a dynasty. As the 2026 season kicks off, every box score is going to be a litmus test for whether Chris DeMarco’s NBA-style system can translate to the WNBA and bring another trophy to the Barclays Center.