Leonie Fiebich was keeping an eye on her team, the Liberty, while she played in Eurobasket over the past few weeks.
She noticed the strong performance via social media and even received a message from a teammate inviting her back.
“It’s fine for us to face challenges now rather than later this year,” Fiebich shared after practice on Wednesday. “We just need to find our rhythm again.”
And certainly, now feels like a crucial time for that.
The Liberty opened their title defense with an impressive 9-0 start, the best in the franchise’s history.
However, in the last two and a half weeks, things have taken a downturn.
They’ve lost five out of seven matches and recently wrapped up a 10-day road trip with consecutive defeats in Phoenix and Atlanta.
As of Wednesday, the Liberty (11-5) were sitting third in the league standings.
Despite the setbacks, Natasha Cloud believes that outside opinions need to calm down.
“We’ve got everything we need,” Cloud emphasized. “There’s no panic in the locker room. I think there’s a need for a reality check… We’re missing two starters.”
Indeed, throughout that rough period, they’ve been short two starters. Fiebich, one of their top defenders, aggravated an ankle injury.
Compounding that, Sabrina Ionescu had her own issues after waking up with neck stiffness following their losing match on June 22 in Seattle.
Even when Ionescu was limited, the team managed to secure a win against Valkyrie in front of a lively crowd in San Francisco.
Fortunately, both Ionescu and Fiebich are back, with Fiebich now scheduled to play against the Sparks on Thursday.
Jones is still recovering as well and was seen working closely with a coach near the end of practice on Wednesday.
The Liberty don’t expect Jones to return until after the WNBA All-Star Weekend on July 18th and 19th, following initial reports indicating she would be out for four to six weeks from June 21.
Speaking with reporters since her injury in June, Jones mentioned there isn’t a specific date for her return, but she feels she’s in a “good place.”
This all bodes well for the Liberty, who are on an eight-game homestand starting Thursday.
“I think we can make some changes when we get back home,” Ionescu reflected.
She also expressed optimism about the team’s effort over the past two weeks despite the challenges, describing the atmosphere as “good.”
“Everyone sees the big picture and isn’t really panicking,” Ionescu added. “It makes sense that we need others to step up and work hard for those who aren’t here; it’s a significant task.”
Fortunately, the Liberty won’t be on the road again until their game against the Wings in Arlington, Texas, on July 28.
As they strive to regroup before the All-Star break, the previous issues could just be minor bumps in a long season.
Still, if struggles continue even with Fiebich back on the court, it might be time to raise concerns.
But for the moment, the Liberty have earned some leeway, given their pedigree and recent challenges.
That said, they should be aware that time is of the essence.
“Everyone faces challenges, so you have to stick with us,” coach Sandy Blondero said. “This is when your character shows. We can often be our own worst enemy. You see what I mean?”
“Ultimately, we haven’t played hard enough recently. I’m refocusing on who we are and demanding more. And Leo makes a substantial difference.”
