Injuries Plague Liberty’s Season
ATLANTA — As Sandi Brondello prepared for the upcoming match, she couldn’t shake the harsh reality of the Liberty’s ongoing struggles this season.
“Watching the last game against Atlanta reminded me that there’s no continuity we can build,” Brondello said Saturday.
With 13 seasons as a WNBA head coach under her belt, she’s faced a variety of challenges, but nothing quite like this.
Since the second game of the season, Liberty has been operating without its full lineup. Each time a key player returns, another one seems to get sidelined.
Emma Meesman, who just joined the team earlier this month, hasn’t yet played alongside stars like Breanna Stewart or Nyara Sabally.
The defeat in Atlanta marked the 13th different starting lineup for Liberty and they played without two key starters, Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
The team has found itself frustrated and inconsistent throughout the season, reflecting a patchwork lineup due to injuries.
The front court, in particular, has taken significant hits. Savary has missed 22 games, Stewart has sat out for 13, Johnquel Jones for 12, and Isabel Harrison for nine.
This has left the healthier players feeling the strain, leading to overall fatigue.
Some athletes, like Leonie Fevich, have shown resilience despite injuries; she injured her right hand on July 26 and has still played 13 games in just 28 days.
It seemed that things were bleak without Jones, but Stewart’s absence over the past month may have impacted the team even more.
Before her injury, Liberty’s defensive rating was 97.2, but after she suffered a bone bruise, that number has risen to 106.8.
Stewart is not just a versatile defender; she’s also a critical link for the team’s overall defense. She plays instinctively and uses her experience wisely.
Her ability to determine when to help on defense or cover options makes things easier for her teammates.
Additionally, she’s one of the team’s leading rebounders, averaging 6.8 per game, and frequently gets to the free-throw line, averaging six attempts per game—third in the league.
In the last six matchups, Liberty’s free-throw attempts have been concerningly low, with 86 attempts, significantly fewer than their opponents.
This inconsistency on both ends of the court is a problem, as the team struggles with discipline in their defensive efforts. They aren’t getting enough contact in the paint, which could help alleviate some scoring woes.
Starting the season with an impressive 9-0 record, Liberty can no longer afford to wait for everyone to be healthy. They need to start winning or risk sliding further down the rankings.
Currently, with a record of 22-15, they find themselves sitting in fifth place and two games behind the second-place Dream (24-13), with just seven games remaining.
Every game is crucial for their playoff prospects. “We can’t take a break with these injuries, and it’s frustrating not to build continuity,” Brondello noted. “We know we’re a great team when fully healthy, but we haven’t had the chance to prove that. Hopefully we can get everyone back and see how it goes before the playoffs.”
