{"id":4873,"date":"2026-07-13T08:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T03:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=4873"},"modified":"2026-07-13T08:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T03:42:16","slug":"liberty-lament-more-early-game-struggles-as-stars-late-efforts-not-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=4873","title":{"rendered":"Liberty lament more early game struggles as stars&#8217; late efforts not enough"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p>MONTREAL \u2014 Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart\u2019s desperation was evident Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>The tag team did its best to will the Liberty to a win a day after New York\u2019s second-half rally fell short in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n<p>Stewart scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half. Ionescu recorded 12 of her team-high 28 points in the fourth quarter. Together, they helped the fatigued Liberty erase the Toronto Tempo\u2019s 15-point lead.<\/p>\n<p>New York played with heart and grit, but it ultimately wasn\u2019t enough <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/12\/sports\/furious-liberty-rally-falls-short-in-loss-to-tempo\/\">as the Tempo won 93-91<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had a great group out there that played as hard as they could, tried to get stops, push the ball in transition, but it\u2019s a matter of will and want,\u201d Ionescu said. \u201cAnd I\u2019d say everyone that stepped out in that second half especially, played with a lot of assertiveness and try to do everything you could to get a win.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was a tough break for the Liberty, who lately have made a habit of falling into double-digit holes.<\/p>\n<p>The Liberty have trailed by 13-plus points in five of their past seven games, going 0-5 in those situations.<\/p>\n<p>Stewart had no answer for why the Liberty keep finding themselves in disadvantageous situations.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><button class=\"button button--modal-trigger\" aria-label=\"Open the image in a modal.\" data-modal-image=\"39964864\"><br \/>\n\t<default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-plus\" fill=\"#fff\" viewbox=\"0 0 1033 1000\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\"><default:path d=\"M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z\"\/><\/default:svg><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<img style=\"aspect-ratio:1.27680798;display:block\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"39964864\" width=\"753\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) dribbles defended by Toronto Tempo forward Laura Juskaite (2) during the second half at the Bell Centre. \" class=\"wp-image-39964864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 3600w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=300,235&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=768,602&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=1024,802&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=1536,1203&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=2048,1604&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 2048w, 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https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=231,181&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=322,252&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=563,441&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 563w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=77,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 77w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=102,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 102w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=1200,940&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=74,58&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 74w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=199,156&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 199w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-forward-breanna-134224030.jpg?resize=50,39&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px\"\/><figcaption>New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) dribbles defended by Toronto Tempo forward Laura Juskaite (2) during the second half at the Bell Centre.  <span class=\"credit\">IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The Liberty are 5-6 in clutch games, tied for 10th out of 15 teams.<\/p>\n<p>The Liberty pointed to a bizarre sequence Sunday \u2014 in which Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/12\/sports\/libertys-betnijah-laney-hamilton-ejected-for-throwing-shoe-at-marina-mabrey\/\">ejected for throwing a teammate\u2019s shoe<\/a> that accidentally hit Marina Mabrey \u2014 as stifling their momentum.<\/p>\n<p>But rookie Pauline Astier believes the Liberty need to \u201cwake up earlier\u201d and take control sooner.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><button class=\"button button--modal-trigger\" aria-label=\"Open the image in a modal.\" data-modal-image=\"39964870\"><br \/>\n\t<default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-plus\" fill=\"#fff\" viewbox=\"0 0 1033 1000\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\"><default:path d=\"M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z\"\/><\/default:svg><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<img style=\"aspect-ratio:1.34207077;display:block\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"39964870\" width=\"792\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu shoots a three-pointer over Toronto Tempo forward Maria Conde.\" class=\"wp-image-39964870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 3600w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=300,224&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=768,573&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=1024,763&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, 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https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=72,54&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 72w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=200,149&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=231,172&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=322,240&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=592,441&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 592w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=80,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 80w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=107,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 107w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=1200,895&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=78,58&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 78w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=209,156&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 209w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/new-york-liberty-guard-sabrina-134222075.jpg?resize=50,37&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\"\/><figcaption>Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) shoots a three pointer over Toronto Tempo forward Maria Conde (10) during the second half at the Bell Centre.  <span class=\"credit\">IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Membership - Inside the Liberty\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCovering the Liberty like never before\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for Madeline Kenney&#8217;s Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThank you\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe should do it for all the game, not the last quarter or the second half,\u201d Astier told The Post. \u201cWe did the same in Minnesota, we just came back in the game, but it\u2019s not enough \u2026 We have to be better for all 40 minutes long.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If the Liberty play better in the first half, Astier believes confidence will carry over to the second half and help with late-game execution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re gonna have more confidence if we play a full game, like 100 percent,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we all communicate more, it\u2019s gonna be easier if we are doing this all the game. And at the end, we\u2019re gonna be more confident, to take the shot, to take the rebound, to control the last possession \u2026 If we do this all the game, we\u2019re gonna be I don\u2019t know maybe up 20 and we don\u2019t have to deal with the last possession, so yeah, I just try to be more consistent all the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MONTREAL \u2014 Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart\u2019s desperation was evident Sunday. The tag team did its best to will the Liberty to a win a day after New York\u2019s second-half rally fell short in Minneapolis. Stewart scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half. Ionescu recorded 12 of her team-high 28 points in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/newspress-collage-scpxrpyxv-1783912500787.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1783898138&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}