{"id":7514,"date":"2026-07-16T09:48:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T04:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=7514"},"modified":"2026-07-16T09:48:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T04:48:41","slug":"liberty-seeking-elusive-first-win-over-wings-this-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=7514","title":{"rendered":"Liberty seeking elusive first win over Wings this season"},"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>The Liberty head to Dallas to take on the Wings on Thursday in hopes of salvaging the second half of what\u2019s been a rough road trip.<\/p>\n<p>New York has lost seven of its past 10 games, dropping to 13-11 on the season, which puts it in eighth place. <\/p>\n<p>The Liberty rallied from double-digit second-half deficits against the Lynx and Tempo, but ultimately lost both to start this road trip.<\/p>\n<p>Will the Liberty course correct against the red-hot Wings?<\/p>\n<p>Dallas won its first two meetings against New York this season and entered Thursday undefeated in July. <\/p>\n<p>A win against the Liberty would extend their win streak to six, which would be the longest in team history.<\/p>\n<p>The Wings have been successful against the Liberty because they\u2019re able to exploit everything New York has struggled with: turnovers, shoddy rebounding, inconsistent play and flimsy perimeter defense.<\/p>\n<p>The Liberty also haven\u2019t shot the ball well in either of their games against the Wings.<\/p>\n<p>Each of the Liberty\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/07\/sports\/liberty-overmatched-by-wings-again-in-ugly-home-loss\/\">losses against the Wings<\/a> followed similar scripts.<\/p>\n<p>They win the opening 10 minutes and then have a catastrophic quarter \u2014 digging themselves a massive hole that proves too deep.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>On May 24, the disastrous quarter was the third, when Azzi Fudd blitzed New York and finished with a then-career-high 24 points. The Liberty were outscored 28-17 in the third and lost 91-76.<\/p>\n<p>In the most recent meeting, New York stumbled in the second and was outscored by a whopping 18 points to trail 47-31 at halftime.<\/p>\n<p>The Liberty found success early in their last game by attacking inside. As great as Jessica Shepard has been across the board this season \u2014 she owns all three of the league\u2019s triple-doubles recorded in 2026 \u2014 the first-time All-Star isn\u2019t a shot-blocker. In fact, she\u2019s the only regular starting forward in the league who\u2019s yet to record a block this season.<\/p>\n<p>But then New York went away from what was working.<\/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=\"39997644\"><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:1.49926794;display:block\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"39997644\" width=\"885\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Breanna Stewart (left) and Sabrina Ionescu wear dejected expressions on the bench during the Liberty's loss to the Wings on July 7, 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-39997644\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 3129w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=300,200&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=768,512&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=1024,683&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=1536,1024&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=2048,1365&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=600,400&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 600w, 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https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=144,96&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 144w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=107,71&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 107w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=93,62&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 93w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=84,56&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 84w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=60,40&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 60w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=105,70&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 105w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=81,54&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 81w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=200,133&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=231,154&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=322,215&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=662,441&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 662w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=90,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 90w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=120,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 120w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=1200,800&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=1038,692&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1038w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=87,58&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 87w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Stewart.Ionescu.jpg?resize=50,33&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 885px) 100vw, 885px\"\/><figcaption>Breanna Stewart (left) and Sabrina Ionescu wear dejected expressions on the bench during the Liberty\u2019s loss to the Wings on July 7, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After the July 6 loss, coach Chris DeMarco called out the team\u2019s lack of execution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s hard to run offense when you\u2019re taking the ball out of the basket,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I think, especially the first quarter, we had some unforced turnovers and we gave a lot of offensive rebounds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rebounding out of the zone defense \u2014 which the Liberty have deployed at the highest frequency in the league \u2014 has been a problem area for New York.<\/p>\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>The Wings are a team that will fight for extra possessions, evidenced by averaging the sixth-most offensive boards per game in the league.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas is also one of the most lethal teams in transition.<\/p>\n<p>The Liberty have blamed officiating for some of their recent shortcomings. They\u2019ve also noted the lack of lineup consistency with players being in and out for various reasons. New York is without Leonie Fiebich (left foot soreness) and Satou Sabally (concussion protocol) for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n<p>But at some point, the Liberty need to look in the mirror.<\/p>\n<p>Will New York show signs of improvement Thursday? Or will it be status quo?<\/p>\n<p>Time will tell.<\/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>The Liberty head to Dallas to take on the Wings on Thursday in hopes of salvaging the second half of what\u2019s been a rough road trip. New York has lost seven of its past 10 games, dropping to 13-11 on the season, which puts it in eighth place. The Liberty rallied from double-digit second-half deficits&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7515,"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-wj146ss9d-1784170924154.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1784156532&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7514","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\/7514","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=7514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}