WNBA: Liberty Falls to Dream Amid Injuries
ATLANTA – This past Saturday morning, the Liberty entered the game with hopes of moving up in the WNBA standings, aiming for a fifth-place finish against the Dream.
Unfortunately for them, with a weakened frontcourt and only eight players available—thanks to Sabrina Ionescu being sidelined due to a left foot injury just hours before the game—the Dream took full advantage, securing a 78-62 victory over the Liberty.
This defeat marks Liberty’s fourth loss in their last five games. They continue to hold the fifth position, sitting two games behind Atlanta, while the regular-season series between the two teams is now tied at 2-2.
If the standings end up in a tie with other teams like the Mercury and Ace, the tiebreaker will be determined by the record against teams with a .500 or better win rate. As it stands, both Liberty and Dream have a 12-11 record for such games.
Should there be a further tie, the subsequent tiebreaker will involve point differentials, where the Dream currently hold an edge at Plus-14.
Carl Smesco, who is in his first season as head coach for Atlanta, has been a long-time observer of the WNBA and expressed surprise at the competitive balance this season.
“I can’t recall another season quite like this where the competition feels so evenly distributed,” Smesco noted. He went on to speculate about which team might clinch the eighth spot, emphasizing that there are several strong contenders with the potential to win.
“These teams can catch fire and go on impressive runs. It seems like more teams are at a high level of play than I’ve seen before,” he added.
The Ace exemplifies this trend, arriving on Saturday with a nine-game winning streak, sitting comfortably in third place ahead of the Mercury.
The playoff picture also includes the Fever in sixth, Storm in seventh, and Valkyrie in eighth position.
As the Liberty approach the final stretch of the season, the urgency of each game is becoming palpable.
“We really need to treat the next seven games with the mindset to win,” Kennedy Burke said. “It’s tough right now, but we’re determined to come together and improve.”
