The New York Liberty is coming in hot as its 2025 postseason journey begins.
After a regular season besieged by medical maladies, the Liberty have a clean bill of health for their playoff opener on Sunday late afternoon against the Phoenix Mercury (5 p.m. ET, ESPN). New York had no injuies to report for Game 1 of the best-of-three set, continuing a welcome trend from the end of the regular season.
Various ailments frequently stifled the Liberty’s progress in their first postseason championship defense, as only one player (Marine Johannes) appeared in all 44 regular season games. Touted starters Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart each endured lengthy absences while their fellow All-Star Sabrina Ionescu missed five of the final eight games with foot issues.
As the Liberty have often reminded listeners, however, the regular season is in the books and New York can now press forward with its regular lineup in check. Ionescu, Jones, and Stewart have regularly repped the Liberty at tip-off next to Natasha Cloud and Leonie Fiebich.Sep 9, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Rebekah Gardner (7), forward Isabelle Harrison (21), and guard Natasha Cloud (9) pose after defeating the Washington Mystics 75-66 at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
While New York (27-17) has been quick to assume responsibility for its shortcomings, the recurring injuries no doubt played a role in its fifth place finish on the WNBA bracket, forcing it to open the playoffs on the road for the first time since 2022. Game 2 will be staged at Barclays Center on Wednesday with a winner-take-all final slated for Friday, if necessary.
Reunited for the last two games of the regular season, that group had the best defensive rating among five-woman get-togethers in the W over the last couple. When that quintessential quintet starts a game and finishes unscathed, the Liberty has a perfect 10-0 record.
The injury report for fourth-ranked Phoenix (27-17) is likewise blank entering Sunday. Injuries have played a major role in this season’s series to date: the Mercury won three of the four previous matchups but the Liberty were missing at least one starter in each of those defeats. New York’s lone win, an 89-76 decision at Barclays Center on July 25, was the only showdown to feature a full-strength Liberty team.
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