The streak rolls on. The Washington Mystics went on a good third quarter run, but the New York Liberty got themselves back in gear and wound up winning by 22 points. The champs are now 6-0 to start the WNBA season.
The opponent tonight is transitioning into a new era. The Connecticut Sun picked up their first win of the season after withstanding a late Indiana Fever to hold on and win.
Where to follow the game
My9 on TV. Liberty Live and FOX Local on streaming. Daytime game so tip after 3 p.m. ET.
Injuries
Nyara Sabally has been out this week due to a knee injury, but the coaching staff expects her to be back today.
Lindsay Allen is out with a hamstring injury. Leila Lacan has overseas obligations so we won’t be seeing her until sometime this summer.
The game
It’s the first game of the Commissioner’s Cup! The winners of the Cup will receive $500,000 and the charity of their choice will receive funds as well. It’s a great way to get players some extra money while giving fans high stakes hoops in the early part of the season.
Sabrina Ionescu was struggling from three point range in the first few games of the season. Not anymore. Sab has gone 10-26 from three in the past two games and a lot of those makes have been of the catch and shoot variety.
When you can get Sab off the ball, you reduce those pull up threes she struggled with in 2024.
She and Natasha Cloud will see their Unrivaled teammate, Marina Mabrey. Mabrey is still looking to contend, but is still in Uncasville for the time being. She’s averaging a career high 16 points a game on .372/.320/.846 shooting splits. It’s her first time as the lead option in her career and it’s a transition for her, but she’s talented so she can figure it out as time progresses.
The Liberty have the best offense in the WNBA, and it’s easy to see why
The Liberty starters have been terrifying to deal with (119 ORTG) and a big reason why are their coverage solutions. Stewie gets out early, Sab draws two, Big Mama has to tag and it's an open 3 that JJ misses. Notice Leo tagging up to Sutton and neutering any chance at transition pic.twitter.com/A0wmrkskuf
— Zozo ️⚧️ (@ZeeCoachesBall) May 31, 2025
The best offenses make defenses question themselves on every possession, and the Sun will have a lot to try and figure out this afternoon. New York can stand to get even better in a few areas, so we’ll check back in about a month to see where things stand on that front.
Player to watch: Tina Charles
Tina Charles has seen the WNBA grow over the course of her Hall of Fame career. And within the growth has been an evolution in her game as well. While she isn’t the MVP engine of a contender anymore, she still has plenty to give back to the game. She recently spoke about what she’s looking to accomplish with the young kids on this Sun roster:
“I didn’t come in here with any personal goals. I’m very content in what I’ve been able to accomplish for myself individually, and the impact I’ve been able to have on teams throughout my career. I think for me, it’s just to be consistent, but more so a consistent leader.
Someone who’s an energy giver. Someone that players can plug into. I think my focus for my growth, to make it full circle, is just to be a great teammate and a great leader, great big sis, whatever it is that they need. That’s what’s important for me at this point in my career. Nothing statistically, no record, no nothing. It’s just, how can I help these guys have a fruitful career?”
On the court, the New York legend has continued to keep things steady on the interior. TC is good for around 17 points and six rebounds a night at the center. However, she is coming off a career high 11 turnovers on Friday night, so ball security will take on the utmost importance today. If she’s not careful, those turnovers will turn into easy scoring opportunities for the Liberty.
The Liberty have been pretty bad on the boards this year. Luckily for them, Jonquel Jones is here to save the day! JJ came back from a one game absence to collect a season high 18 rebounds on Friday night.
From the Vault
To my surprise, Emotional Oranges has a new album out! They kick ass so let’s throw it back to my favorite song of theirs
More reading: CT Insider, Swish Appeal, Chicago Sun Times, Women’s Basketball Roundup, No Cap Space, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next