Shorthanded New York Liberty Get Shocking Reality Check vs. Dallas Wings originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The New York Liberty looked like a shell of themselves against the Dallas Wings for three straight quarters, getting blown out and shocked on the road in a 92–82 loss that appeared better than the actual tide of the game.
Advertisement
Dallas played one of their best games of the year, winning their first contest of the season without ever trailing. Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale combined for 40 points, with Paige scoring 20 in her return to action after missing Sunday night’s contest.
Dallas ultimately played better, forcing turnovers early on and capitalizing on New York’s defensive gaps, tallying 20 assists by halftime. Despite the game almost getting away from them in the fourth quarter, allowing the Liberty to go on a 17–0 run to cut their lead to just six points, Dallas was able to hold on to the win, sparking a turn in their up-and-down season.
Sabrina Ionescu was forced to take on the offensive duties; she had just two points in the first half, failing to find her shot from the field. Overall, the Liberty struggled to find anything falling through the net, getting uncomfortable in transition, which led to turnovers and quality defense by Dallas in the paint. New York would give up 63 points in the first half and faced a 27-point deficit, the largest they’ve encountered thus far this season.
Advertisement
It feels that once the Liberty is without a member of their big three trio — Ionescu, Stewart, and Jones — the dominoes start to collapse. New York was forced to put out their 10th different lineup due to Stewart’s absence, with a timetable still unknown after suffering a lower left leg injury against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Jones had missed 12 games for the Liberty this season after being sidelined 4–6 weeks before the All-Star break, causing the team to record a 7–5 record without her presence on the court. Sabrina Ionescu has missed just one game this season, in which the team ultimately lost. Stewart, missing her first game of the season, truly showed how much she brings to the team.
The issue isn’t New York’s offensive scheme or star players having cold stretches; it’s about finding opportunities to win contests without playing unorganized basketball. Ionescu wasn’t able to find her rhythm on a night when she was needed the most. Natasha Cloud, after arguably having her best performance against the Sparks, fell silent, recording just four points on 2-of-6 shooting.
Advertisement
New York will look to get back in the win column Wednesday night against the one-seeded Minnesota Lynx — a pivotal rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals and the two sides’ first encounter of the season.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
