New York — The New York Liberty overcame injury setbacks to defeat the Washington Mystics with a score of 89-63 on Thursday night. Despite the absences of Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Emma Meesseman, and Marine Johannes took the lead to guide the Liberty to a resounding victory over the Mystics. This triumph solidifies their position in fifth place in the standings, as the WNBA regular season enters its final phase. Ionescu suffered an injury to a left toe at the end of Wednesday’s training, while Jones was not feeling well on Thursday morning, which added her to the injured list at the last minute. The Liberty were also affected by the absences of Natasha Cloud (broken nose) and Nyara Sabally (knee), which reduced their roster to only eight available players at the start of the game.
Stewart, who returned on Monday after missing 13 games due to a bone contusion in his right knee, was still subject to a minutes restriction, playing only 24 minutes. Despite this, he scored 12 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Meesseman led the team with 15 points, while Johannes contributed 14, keeping the Liberty seven games ahead of the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. Sydney Johnson, Washington’s first-year coach, learned of the absence of two of the Liberty’s stars shortly before the game.Welcome to the 2025 New York Liberty,” joked coach Sandy Brondello before the game. “It’s been crazy.”
Sandy Brondello
When Ionescu, Jones, and Stewart complete the games, New York has a 10-0 record. However, when they don’t play, their record is 13-15. The Liberty began the game in a full fight for the playoffs, positioning themselves half a game behind Phoenix for the fourth place and the advantage of playing at home in the first round.They have a lot of people. We have big challenges ahead,” she said. “So Sabrina and JJ won’t be there, but others will be. I can guarantee it.”
Sydney Johnson
