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SEATTLE — The Liberty have a problem with being passive and not decisive on offense.
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The issue has been exacerbated as of late because Sabrina Ionescu had missed four of the team’s last five games ahead of Friday’s tilt against the Storm.
New York still has primary ball handlers with Natasha Cloud and Breanna Stewart, but the team needs its secondary scoring options to step up and help wear down the defense.
The Liberty are looking for Leonie Fiebich and Kennedy Burke to be more aggressive. They don’t want them to necessarily settle for shots, but to be more intentional about hunting good looks.
Leonie Fiebich handles the ball during the game against the Las Vegas Aces on August 13, 2025 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. NBAE via Getty Images
Fiebich and Burke have slipped into mini shooting slumps over the last week.
Fiebich shot 18.8 percent (3-for-16) from the field and went a combined 2-for-11 over the Liberty’s last three games, while Burke shot 10 percent (1-for-10) from the field and hasn’t made any of her five attempts from deep.
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Despite the recent dips, Fiebich and Burke remain two of the league’s most efficient shooters and coach Sandy Brondello will continue to encourage them to shoot.
Kennedy Burke shoots the ball during the first half against the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center on August 25, 2025. Getty Images
Cloud said she’s examining how she can do a better job getting Fiebich and Burke more involved at times.
But Cloud also noted that a lot of the Liberty’s issues are intertwined. New York’s porous defense has led to the offense having to go against a set defense.
“Offensively, [we’re] just simplifying things but allowing our defense to truly drive our offense,” Cloud said. “We’ve talked about that but we haven’t been action-based, we haven’t been about that. So you’re going to see us a lot more aggressive on the defensive end, getting out, pressuring teams and then allowing that to flow into our offense.”
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Whether those conversations the Liberty have had over the past few days following back-to-back wins translates to meaningful action have yet to be seen.
New York clinched a playoff spot Tuesday but is not happy with how it’s played over the past 2 ½ months. The Liberty have only three games left in the regular season before their title defense begins.
Helping their secondary scorers regain confidence and find their groove will be key down the stretch.
