The Liberty will commence their WNBA playoff run on the road following a 95-84 home defeat to the Atlanta Dream on Monday night at Barclays Center. This loss eliminated any chance for the Liberty to secure a fourth seed, leaving them with a potential playoff seed ranging from fifth to eighth as the regular season nears its conclusion.
With only three days remaining in the regular season, the playoff picture remains unsettled. All eight qualifying teams have secured their spots but none have locked in their seeding positions — a level of uncertainty considered unprecedented this late in the season. The matches following the FIBA Women’s World Cup break have served as a preview of the postseason intensity, with Monday’s physical contest underscoring the competitive stakes.
The Liberty, who had played the previous night in Toronto, showed signs of fatigue, particularly in the third quarter where their performance dipped. Angel Reese, forward for the Dream, noted the impact of the Liberty’s back-to-back schedule, observing that the opposing players’ body language and shot selection reflected tiredness after halftime. “I could see it in their eyes,” Reese said. “I kept telling the team, ‘They’re tired as s--t. Keep wearing them down.’”
Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich acknowledged the physical toll of back-to-back games, especially with many players returning from international duty at the World Cup, but dismissed fatigue as an excuse. “Physicality is going to go up, so we just got to play through it,” Fiebich said.
The first half remained close, with the Liberty missing an opportunity to tie the score late when they failed to secure a defensive rebound, leading to a three-point play for the Dream’s Bonner. Early in the third quarter, the Dream surged ahead with a 9-2 run that extended their lead to double digits.
The Liberty mounted a spirited rally with an 8-0 run highlighted by three-pointers from Pauline Astier and Sabrina Ionescu, narrowing the deficit to 55-53 with just over four minutes left in the third. However, the Dream outscored the Liberty 32-24 in the quarter and entered the final period with an 11-point advantage.
Ionescu cited the physical approach of the Dream after halftime, noting that their fast-paced, aggressive style exploited the Liberty’s fatigue. “They were just running and we weren’t able to get our defense set,” Ionescu said. “Everyone has to sprint back and kind of create a shell to get our defense set.”
Despite the loss, the Liberty remain focused on their upcoming home rematch against Atlanta on Wednesday, the final game of the regular season. Jonquel Jones expressed confidence in the team’s resilience and readiness to learn from Monday’s defeat. “We talked about just using this as a little mini-series before we go into the playoffs,” Jones said. “Being able to bounce back and get the win the next time you play.”
Fiebich embraced the challenge ahead, motivated by Reese’s comments and the competitive spirit shown by the Dream. “They can feel good about the win. It’s good for us,” she said. “We’re gonna win the next one.”