NY Liberty Make WNBA History: Record-Breaking Win Fuels Championship Buzz

Brooklyn, N.Y. — The New York Liberty exhaled in relief on Monday after imaging revealed that 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart sustained only a mild left ankle sprain in Saturday’s win over the Los Angeles Sparks, averting what team officials feared could be a season-altering injury. Head coach Sandy Brondello said the club will “monitor Stewie day-to-day,” but did not rule out the star forward for Thursday’s nationally televised showdown with the Dallas Wings. The matchup in Arlington suddenly carries extra intrigue: Dallas expects to activate rookie sensation Paige Bueckers and veteran forward Myisha Hines-Allen after extended absences, giving the Wings a full complement of scorers just as the Liberty embark on a critical four-game road swing. Brondello acknowledged the “heightened scouting challenge,” but emphasized New York’s depth, pointing to Jonquel Jones’ 24-point outburst against Phoenix last week and Sabrina Ionescu’s recent surge from beyond the arc. New York leaves Barclays Center riding the momentum of a successful eight-game homestand in which it went 6-2, tightening its grip on the Eastern Conference’s top seed while staying within striking distance of league-leading Las Vegas. The Liberty’s defense has quietly fueled the climb: they rank top-three in opponent field-goal percentage since July 1, holding foes to just 29 percent from three and generating 18.4 points per game off turnovers. Key storylines to watch this week • Stewart’s status: A quick return keeps New York’s vaunted “Super Five” intact; extended rest shifts more front-court minutes to Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich. • Three-point barrage: The Liberty average 11.3 made threes, but Dallas allows the league’s fewest long-range attempts. Perimeter efficiency could decide Thursday’s game. • Playoff tiebreakers: New York owns the season series 1-0 over Dallas; another win would secure the head-to-head advantage should seeding come down to record. Beyond the Wings, the road trip includes visits to Chicago, Seattle and Minnesota—three teams fighting for the final postseason berths. Guard Courtney Vandersloot called it “the stretch that can separate us,” noting a potential milestone: at 297 career wins, New York is poised to become the first WNBA franchise to hit 300. Off the court, the Liberty continue to dominate the conversation. The club announced that all remaining regular-season home games are sold out, extending a streak of 24 consecutive sellouts dating back to June 2024. Team governor Clara Wu Tsai credited “the star power on the floor and the city’s hunger for women’s sports,” while the league confirmed that six Liberty broadcasts drew at least 750,000 viewers, a franchise record. If the Liberty navigate this road gauntlet while keeping Stewart healthy, they will return to Brooklyn in mid-August with a clear path to clinching home-court advantage throughout the playoffs—a goal that felt in jeopardy just 48 hours ago. For now, fans—and the rest of the WNBA—will wait on the next medical update from Dallas, where the Liberty’s championship push faces its latest test.