Injury Concerns for Liberty Ahead of Dallas Game

INDIANAPOLIS — The Liberty might be missing another crucial player for their upcoming matchup against the Dallas Wings on Monday.

Marin Johannes is currently listed as questionable for the game that was postponed.

She seemed to have twisted her ankle during Saturday’s loss at Indiana State.

Johannes exited the game with just over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and did not return.

Coach Chris DeMarco didn’t provide an immediate update on her status following the game.

The Liberty already finds themselves without Leoni Fievic and Sato Sabally.

Fievic is absent from this trip due to a left foot issue that has kept him sidelined since July 3.

On the other hand, Sabally hasn’t played since June 23 as he remains in concussion protocol.

DeMarco has yet to announce a return timeline for either player, but he indicated that Sabally won’t be back before the All-Star break.

Interestingly, the Liberty arrived in Dallas later than planned for Monday’s game.

Originally, New York was set to face the Wings on Thursday, but that match was postponed due to travel complications.

The Wings recently triumphed over the Sparks on Sunday, extending their winning streak to six games. In contrast, the Liberty are struggling, having lost their last four.

Saturday’s 20-point defeat to the Fever was particularly tough, marking their eighth loss in just ten games. It’s a challenging stretch, reminiscent of their struggles in 2022, before the addition of Brianna Stewart.

In what’s turning out to be a critical season, Liberty currently sits a mere half-game above the last playoff spot, in eighth place, and two and a half games from securing a postseason position.

“I’m not saying we should play like a seeded team, but you understand what I mean? We need to either put a chip on our shoulder or fight our way up,” Stewart remarked. “I’m not happy with where we’re at right now, but it’s the reality. We’re either sinking deeper or we need to pull ourselves out of this. This is a collective responsibility for the organization and this team that continues to show up daily. We have veterans and professionals who won’t let this get to us, yet we have to improve in our game.”