Phoenix – Enough is enough.
The optimistic notions need to stop.
No more talk about how things will turn around when everything clicks for Liberty.
Breanna Stewart’s performance alone set the tone.
Things shifted late Saturday night when Liberty lost a crucial game to the Mercury. This defeat not only postponed their playoff hopes but also gave Phoenix the head-to-head edge, which might even give them a home-court advantage in the first round.
Liberty was in the thick of the game, discussing the need for a playoff mindset. Still, the Mercury’s strong defense had New York struggling. Liberty turned the ball over 19 times, which Phoenix turned into 26 points. Plus, with nine offensive rebounds, they scored 13 extra points, giving them a total outscore of 43-24 in the latter two quarters.
Coach Sandi Blondello’s team faced the music, and Stewart finally expressed her thoughts.
“This isn’t enough,” she remarked. “What we’re showing isn’t cutting it. We haven’t played championship-level basketball for a while now. Everyone really needs to recognize that.”
It’s funny, she said, “Don’t panic.” Yet, she stressed that the urgency is crucial.
I mean, she’s confident in the team’s capabilities: “With this squad, we can achieve whatever we aim for. We just want to make the game feel better, play better, and peak.”
This season started off fantastically for Liberty, marking the hottest start in their history with nine straight wins. But injuries, particularly to Jonquel Jones, have complicated things more than a bit.
They struggled to maintain good health since their second game of the season, and Saturday marked their 16th different starting lineup.
Their Big Three have only played together in 13 games and have shared the court for just 204 minutes.
It’s clear that the lineup inconsistency has posed challenges for Liberty this season. And, well, as the reigning champions, they certainly deserve some leeway.
That said, they’ve gone 15-16 in the last two and a half months.
They’re allowing opponents to capitalize on their careless mistakes and take advantage of their struggles on defense, too.
Stewart’s message was loud and clear after Saturday night, especially with just four games left in the regular season.
It’s simply not enough.
At some point, it’s crucial to learn from mistakes and apply those lessons. New York has to figure out how to put together a consistently strong game over 40 minutes.
Otherwise, their dreams of a back-to-back championship will remain just that—dreams.
“This is clearly a chance to learn,” Stewart noted after the recent loss. “But we don’t have the luxury of time to grow right now; we really need to improve.”
With only four games to go, Blondello admitted, “We’re not where we need to be.”
“But that’s all,” she added. “We just need to clear our heads and remember what we’re capable of.”
Does Liberty grasp what they need to do? Or will this version of New York go down as the team that squandered their championship opportunity?
The answer might just come before Halloween.
