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New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Nyara Sabally plays well in place of injured Jonquel Jones in first WNBA start
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW One wouldn't have guessed that Nyara Sabally was playing in her first game in 2 ½ weeks by the way she smoothly drove to the basket, spun past Kamilla Cardoso and finished with a hook shot on the Liberty's opening possession Tuesday night. But that basket was only the beginning of what turned out to be an impressive return for Sabally. With Jonquel Jones out with a sprained ankle, Sabally earned her first career WNBA start and showed no signs of rust in the Liberty's 85-66 win against the Chicago Sky at Barclays Center. Sabally finished with a season-high nine points on 4-for-4 shooting. She also had three rebounds, an assist and steal in about 15 minutes. 'She looked great,' coach Sandy Brondello said. 'It was great to have her out there. But I think we can build on that. She's always consistent and every time she gets minutes, she's just consistently great. She knows what she does and how she can help us.' It was only Sabally's third game of the season. Sabally had missed the past six games with a knee issue. She had a platelet-rich plasma injection in her right knee to help with the pain. Nyarra Sabally made her first WNBA start in the Liberty's 85-66 win over the Sky on June 10, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images She returned to practice last week before being cleared Monday to play against the Sky. How long Sabally will be with the Liberty before she heads off to EuroBasket remains unclear. Brondello said she still doesn't know when Sabally and Leonie Fiebich will leave to represent Germany at the international tournament. Not that the Liberty are thinking about that just yet. They're just glad Sabally is healthy. Jonquel Jones, who sat out the Liberty's win over the Sky with an ankle injury, poses for a picture with French Open champion Coco Gauff before the game. NBAE via Getty Images Jones was on the court Tuesday, but wasn't cleared to play as she nurses a sprained ankle. 'She's not quite there,' Brondello said. 'We're always about making sure the player is ready to come back and as close to 100 percent as possible.' Brondello said Jones is 'day by day.' The Liberty don't play again until Saturday at Indiana, which gives Jones' ankle more time to heal. Kennedy Burke has been the breakout star of the Liberty's bench. Covering the Liberty like never before Sign up for Madeline Kenney's Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Burke had another efficient scoring night, posting 15 points off the bench while shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 3-for-3 from deep. Through nine games, Burke is shooting 57.5 percent (30-for-52) from the field, including 63.3 percent (19-for-30) from 3-point range. Breanna Stewart, who played a season in Seattle with Burke, isn't surprised by the way she's been playing. 'Honestly, with KB, what I've seen the most is the way she's really took ownership of the role that she's in,' Stewart said. 'And whenever she's on the court, she's motivated to help the team but also very confident. And it's tough especially when you come to a new team … finding that groove, and now she's found it, and she's just doing what she does best.'
New York Post
05-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Breanna Stewart has yet to find her 3-point groove — but she thinks it's coming
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW WASHINGTON — It's not abnormal for Liberty players to linger on the court and put up shots after practice. Breanna Stewart is one of the regulars who stays after shooting when she can. Wednesday was one of those days. Shot after shot, Stewart kept letting it fly from deep as she's done countless times before. She made more than she missed based on the eye test. Occasionally, though, assistant coach Olaf Lange stopped Stewart to remind her the basics of shooting mechanics — how it's one fluid motion, with the bend in the legs working in unison with the body through her release. 3 New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during the second half against the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center. John Jones-Imagn Images Stewart, 30, has been working on her shooting mechanics for more than two decades. But even the professionals sometimes need to get back to the basics, especially after an injury. 'You want to make sure your lower body is where it starts and continuing to keep that flow,' Stewart told The Post. 'That's just a point of emphasis and some things for me to keep in mind as I'm going through my shooting.' Stewart had a minor scope in her right meniscus in mid-March after her season with Unrivaled wrapped up. She later said she hurt it during the WNBA Finals. At training camp, Stewart's ramp-up process was slower given the 'cleanup' procedure. Stewart has been a strong defender and arguably the Liberty's best finisher around the rim. She's getting to the free-throw line at a career-high rate, taking 7.4 attempts per game. 3 Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty reacts during a regular season matchup against the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center. Michelle Farsi/New York Post But Stewart's 3-point shot isn't falling. She is shooting 18.2 percent from deep this season. It's her worst conversion rate from 3-point range through seven games in her WNBA career. Coach Sandy Brondello isn't worried about Stewart's low perimeter shooting percentage, citing how important she's been in other ways. 'She works really hard,' Brondello said. 'I know she missed a few shots there, but when she's running and getting to the rim, she looks good, and I think her legs — and all their legs — are just getting under them a little bit.' Covering the Liberty like never before Sign up for Madeline Kenney's Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Stewart isn't shy about this. She acknowledged the Liberty's taxing stretch of four games in six days put a strain on her body. She called it a 'big test' and said it was a chance to see how her body would recover on short rest. When the Liberty played the Mystics last Friday, Stewart was coming off a 27-point performance, during which she drew 16 fouls and carried the Liberty to a win the night prior. Against the Mystics, Stewart appeared gassed, shooting 3-for-10 from the field for 10 points and seven rebounds. As of now, Stewart's shooting struggles haven't been much of a concern. Not only is it early in the season, but the Liberty have so many other weapons who are shooting at a high clip. Even with Stewart making fewer than one 3-pointer per game, the team leads the league in 3-pointers made per game (12.3) as well as 3-point shooting percentage (38.6 percent). 3 Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty during the game against the Washington Mystics on May 30, 2025 at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. NBAE via Getty Images Playing alongside players like Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Marine Johannès, Jonquel Jones and Kennedy Burke has made it easier to hide Stewart's early shooting woes from deep. But Stewart also is confident she'll rediscover her groove. 'It's just knowing the depth and really the unselfishness that we have. No matter what, whether you have three shooters on one side, most likely the shooter is going to make the next pass because they have that faith and trust in the next person,' Stewart said. 'Especially knowing I'm always going to get the closeout, I'm always going to get the attention, and just trying to make the right plays and at the same time being confident in my shot. 'I know I haven't made as many as I want to, but seven games in, I know I'll get to where I need to be.' Stewart also said she feels 'great' now after 'working through that mud.' 'The recovery part, like the quick turnaround, is also part of the getting back process,' Stewart said. 'So I'm feeling really good right now, which is amazing, and feeling like I'm finally getting back to my full self.'
New York Post
29-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Liberty's Marine Johannes busts out with ‘ridiculous' game after slow start to season
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW In the second quarter, with the Liberty holding a comfortable 32-13 lead over the Valkyries, Marine Johannès decided to finally let it fly. Dribbling on the Liberty logo, she waited for a screen from Isabelle Harrison. Cutting around it, she found no Golden State player to challenge her. With the open space, Johannès leaped off her right foot for a highlight-worthy, one-legged runner 3. A minute later, she rolled over another screen from Harrison for a pullup 3-pointer. The 30-year-old from France then went on to swish a rainbow shot over 6-foot-2 rookie Janelle Salaun, who she has played with on the French women's national basketball team. Twelve of Johannès' 18 points were scored in that second quarter for what was her biggest contribution yet this season in the Liberty's 95-67 win over Golden State at Barclays Center. Johannès only shot from beyond the arc, going 6-for-11 across 22 minutes. 'Some of those, I felt like the defender was right in her face,' Breanna Stewart said of Johannès after the win. 'I know that right-handed runner was comin'! I was like she's gonna shoot that.' 3 Marine Johannès hits a one-legged 3-pointer during the Liberty's blowout win over the Valkyries. Heather Khalifa for New York Post 'She's ridiculous,' Sandy Brondello added. In her previous three games, the fourth-year guard had not scored more than six points or taken more than five shots in a game. On Tuesday, she felt something different and decided to change her tune. 'I was too passive in the last game,' Johannès said. 'Talking with [teammate] Izzy [Harrison], I have to stay aggressive. I think I have to keep going. It's never easy. Every game is different. So, just my mentality [is] keep playing with confidence.' 3 Marine Johannès, who scored 18 points on six 3-pointers, shoots a trey during the Liberty's win over the Valkyries. NBAE via Getty Images Johannès explained she spoke with Harrison at practice on Monday and again on game day about how she wanted screens from her when they had time on the court together. They were clicking on Tuesday. 'For Marine, she was just finding her rhythm, especially at home, she has that confidence knowing that one falls in, next one goes in, fans are getting behind her, players too. We are happy to see her shooting with confidence,' Stewart said. The fourth-place finisher for 2023's Sixth Player of the Year also tallied four steals, two rebounds, one assist and one block on the night while leading the Liberty bench in points. Covering the Liberty like never before Sign up for Madeline Kenney's Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters They collectively scored 37, which is an output the Liberty were looking to set themselves up for in the offseason. 'Our bench and our depth is gonna be what kind of separates us from anyone else,' Stewart said. 'The ability to go this deep and know that there is just gonna be consistency in everything that we do is really important. Happy that everyone is coming in with confidence all the time, mistake or not, next play up like they were talking about. It's really important because it's a collective unit.' Johannès has had on-again, off-again tenure with the Liberty, playing for New York in 2019, 2022, and 2023. 3 Marine Johannès (second from left) shares a laugh on the bench with Sabrina Ionescu (left), Natasha Cloud (second from right) and Breanna Stewart (right) during the Liberty's win over the Valkyries. Getty Images She was a fan favorite and key depth piece in the 2023 Finals, which made many disappointed when she did not return in 2024 to focus on playing for France in the Paris Olympics. After general manager Jonathan Kolb completed a trade for Natasha Cloud, the team announced Johannès' re-signing on March 21. She has since participated in her first full training camp and has taken the first step to finding more consistency off the Liberty bench moving forward. 'I'm so happy for her,' Sabrina Ionescu said. 'Any given night it can happen and I think her ability to just continue to stick with it knowing we want her to shoot shots, we want her to be confident. She missed the first and she just continued to shoot and got really hot, and that's what Marine is capable of doing.'
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Fever blast WNBA for ‘disrespect' after controversial ending against Liberty: ‘Pretty egregious'
Stephanie White called out WNBA officials for swallowing their whistle on Caitlin Clark. With the Fever trailing the Liberty by two points at the end of Saturday's game, Clark didn't get a shot off as she tried to drive off an inbounds catch against a physical Natasha Cloud. The horn at Gainbridge Fieldhouse sounded to seal a 90-88 loss as the ball bounced away. So much for homecooking. 3 Stephanie White reacts during the Fever's loss to the Liberty on May 24. NBAE via Getty Images 'I thought she got fouled,' White, the Fever head coach, said after the game. 'I think it's pretty egregious what's been happening to us the last few games: A minus-31 free-throw discrepancy. And I might be able to understand it if we were just chucking 3s. But we're not. We're attacking the rim.' Clark threw her hands in the air, swung a fist through the air and wore a bewildered look as she sought out the officials to find out why she didn't get the call that would've sent her to the free-throw line with a chance to win the game by sinking all three attempts. When asked about the final play postgame, Clark said, 'I don't know,' and that she hadn't watched the play back yet. 'The disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable,' White said. 'It's disappointing that it doesn't go both ways — or it hasn't gone both ways.' Cloud said that the way the Fever lined up for the inbounds pass told her to expect something non-traditional and a decoy as Clark came off a screen. Clark finished with 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the floor. 3 Caitlin Clark reacts during the final seconds of the Fever's loss to the Liberty on May 24. Imagn Images 'When she came up, gave her a little bit of pressure,' Cloud told The Post's Madeline Kenney. 'When she tried to bring the ball up to her shot, I literally just tipped it with my four fingers. I knew she was going to pull it. She wanted a 3. Obviously, you want to go for the win at home, and I knew that she had a little bit of a rough shooting tonight, too, so I knew that she wanted to have that home-run moment.' The no-call in Cloud's favor followed up a game-deciding whistle at the other end of the floor. Sabrina Ionescu drove the lane with the score tied at 88-88 and was bumped in what could've been incidental contact. Covering the Liberty like never before Sign up for Madeline Kenney's Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters A case could be made that Ionescu leaned into defender Lexie Hull and her path was not impeded. Ionescu made both her free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining. It sounds like White will be asking for an explanation from the WNBA office as to why her team is on the wrong end of bang-bang calls. 3 Natasha Cloud defends Caitlin Clark during the Liberty's win against the Fever on May 24. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images The Liberty were 25-of-32 at the line, while the Fever were 11-of-15. 'There's a system to making sure that we can send stuff in and communicate our grievances, so to speak,' White said. 'I don't know that I ever feel like the system works. We're not looking for a change. We're just looking for consistency.'
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Liberty bracing for physical battle against Angel Reese, Sky
The Liberty are set to make their road debut Thursday in Chicago. And despite the Sky's lackluster season opener, Jonquel Jones is expecting Thursday's game to be a dogfight. Advertisement 'They use their physicality to kind of mask some of the other ways that they may not be there yet,' Jones said Tuesday. 'And I think that if we go in there and we think it's just gonna be a cakewalk and it's just gonna be an easy game then you look up and you're down 20 points and you're wondering why.' The Sky looked like a team that remained a work in progress in their lopsided season-opening loss at Indiana. Chicago committed 17 turnovers and was plagued by lousy shooting, while Caitlin Clark and crew had their way for most of the game. Advertisement Courtney Vandersloot, Ariel Atkins and Kia Nurse — three players who were added, in part, to help with floor spacing and open opportunities for post players Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso — combined for 19 points on 7-of-23 shooting. 3 Jonquel Jones goes up for layup during the Liberty's home-opening win over the Aces. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images What the Sky have going for them is that they played the part of a gritty and strong rebounding team, especially on the offensive glass. Since Sandy Brondello has been harping on her team to limit second-chance opportunities, the Sky might be a good test for the Liberty in that aspect. Advertisement 'We just have to be ready for that level of physicality,' Jones said. 'We have to be ready and understand that we got to hit first.' 3 Angel Reese's physical play will be a challenge for the Liberty. Grace Smith-IndyStar via Imagn Images Marine Johannès announced on her Instagram story Wednesday that she won't be playing for France in next month's EuroBasket. Advertisement 'It was a choice that was definitely not easy to make,' Johannès wrote in French. 'But it seems to me to be the right one today.' 3 Marine Johannès drives past Jewell Lloyd during the Liberty's home-opening win over the Aces. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The news is unfortunate for the French women's national team, but good for the Liberty, who are now anticipating losing only two players to the biennial tournament. Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich are expected to step away from the Liberty next month to compete for Germany. EuroBasket is scheduled to run June 18 to 29. Rebekah Gardner expects her return to Chicago will stir up some emotion for her. Gardner went undrafted out of UCLA and spent a decade playing overseas before the Sky gave the 6-foot-1 guard her first WNBA opportunity back in 2022. Advertisement Covering the Liberty like never before Sign up for Madeline Kenney's Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Gardner, then 31, put together an All-Rookie campaign before separate injuries sidelined her at points the past two years. The Sky traded Gardner's rights to the Liberty before the 2024 season for two second-round picks. Thursday's game will be Gardner's first time back since the trade. Advertisement 'I'm looking forward to going back,' she said. 'I love New York, but that was my first home, so I'm excited.'
