The New York Liberty closed the 2025 regular season with a Ho-Hum victory over the Chicago sky. Their 44th and last match before the start of the real test was one of the least hectic and less stressful games in the development of four months. Sandy Brondello had all her programming, including the arrival of mid-season Emma Meesseman, available for the second time in 2025, and no one was injured.
Chicago’s sky, with an apparently inevitable Angel Reese trade request suspended above their dysfunctional operation, was ready for off-season. The Liberty entered a dozen lay-ups via a stolen door cup in the first half, just a little more effort than they would do in a visit before the match to take an advance of 56-44 in the break.
Advertisement
New York has held a 17 -point lead at one point, but then, once again, their opponent made a race while Breanna Stewart was heading for the bench. If there is a brilliant positive from the unequal liberty near the season, it is that Stewart proved that she was able, after the injury, to force herself on every corner of play for art at least 30 minutes per night. Transition, help the defense, even by hitting a few horsemen-it set up 24/6/3 in it during a shooting 9-sur-14.
But freedom is struggling when she heads for the bench, largely because Jonquel Jones has not played well since his return from his own star break. She is always Jonquel Jones, pulling well above 40% out of three to 6’6 “, always attracting attention when she enters painting, always able to set up large figures every night, and she would be forgiven to have attenuated the effort in the last match of the regular season. Except, that was not her attenuation; this is her new normal …
I love Me by Jonquel Jones, but a large part of the fortune in New York qualifiers is based if it will get out of this weekend.
Advertisement
Otherwise, Brondello could be forced to difficult decisions between Emma Meesseman, who looks great again on Thursday, and Jones. At least for stretching. Or, she could simply take the fork on the road by playing a range at Triple Big, which she swore to do against the sky, and of course, the Aussie remained faithful to her word.
We saw Stewie, Jones and Meesseman share the court for almost four minutes on Thursday, in which the Liberty exceeded Chicago 10-8. (Izzy Harrison then replaced Jones in this programming, with the idea of three large intact remaining.)
“I think what worked is that we gave ourselves space to work, and it is the most important thing,” said Stewart after the match. “You know, we tried it earlier, it seemed that we were on each other, but now letting an action develop on one side, then moving towards the second side.”
Brondello thought that the programming was “successful” and now it seems that it was a card playable for it during the match of the first round of New York against the Phoenix Mercury. The same cannot be said of Marine Johannès, who did not appear once again before the garbage time, behind Meesseman, Kennedy Burke and Rebekah Gardner as the favorite reserves of the bench.
Advertisement
Gardner scored a summit of the 15-point season on a perfect 5 on 5 on the field to end its season from top to bottom, which ends with an undeniable “ up ” after the 2-garde veteran fell entirely from the alignment in August. After looking at the Liberty March as a title last season while she was breastfeeding an injury to Achilles, Gardner should participate active in their defense of the title.
She can’t wait: “I just use what I learned during this year, often. Even throughout the year, there were times when other different players came out, and I just tried to intensify where I can and help the team where I can. So, I try to continue doing this. And looking back, I have the impression that it was great, but I can’t wait to win another championship.”
After Jones was checked halfway through the third quarter, we regularly headed for garbage time. The benches ended the season, and even if the Chicago bench completely preceded the deep reserves of New York, it was good. Everyone was in good health and Nyara Sabally was even able to score a few points …
What a strange regular season for New York. They did not have a mouth of the championship wood, but after having sprayed each competitor for the first three weeks of the season, their glorious victory tour, freshly out of the first championship in the 28 -year history of the franchise, never found its place. Even the victories were difficulties, but the losses aggravated. Emma Meesseman was not only a luxury, but a vital appendage.
Advertisement
The New York Liberty has not found any new identity this season, beyond that of a tired team capable of uncommon shine. Maybe they will be brilliant during the next month of basketball in the playoffs and will go consecutive; Looking at the eight best players demolish a Mopey Chicago Sky team in the first half is enough for the heart to beat, to hope against hope.
All this is over now. It is time for the playoffs. Since the Liberty has never really built a pace this year, you want the regular season of 2025 to have last a little longer. But it won’t miss it.
Final score: New York Liberty 91, Chicago Sky 86
Following
The New York Liberty will face the Phoenix Mercury during the first round of the WNBA qualifiers, a format to the best of the 3 moving between the cities for each match. The Mercury, as Graine n ° 4, will welcome the seed n ° 5 Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m. he.
