Liberty face offseason uncertainty as Stewart and Ionescu pledge return after playoff loss

NEW YORK — The Liberty's 2025 season ended with a 79-73 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in Phoenix on Friday night, leaving the franchise in an offseason of uncertainty. Breanna Stewart, playing through a sprained MCL, scored all 14 of New York's fourth-quarter points to fuel a late surge, but the rally fell short. 'Well, I’m coming back,' she said. Sabrina Ionescu, who sat across the podium after the loss, gave a slight nod, signaling a shared intent to return. The Liberty began the year with nine straight wins but faded down the stretch, finishing fifth as injuries forced lineup changes. They had stolen Game 1 in Phoenix but were unable to close out the series in Brooklyn, where a late collapse in front of the home crowd capped the defeat.

Off the court, the offseason promises upheaval. The Liberty face a collective bargaining agreement that could shape the league for years, two expansion drafts whose formats are still to be determined, and a free-agent market that could reconfigure the league's balance of power. General manager Jonathan Kolb will have to decide how to reassemble a roster that relied on a high-velocity offense and a deep bench, but was undone by injuries and inconsistent late-game execution. Jonquel Jones, a pillar of the team's title run, spoke candidly about the season's finish, even as she signaled an intent to be part of a championship core again. 'We can all look at people to point and blame, like, you can look at me with three points tonight and point the finger at me,' she said. 'But I want to run it back in 2026.' Jones also addressed the leadership around coach Sandy Brondello, suggesting the decision on Brondello's future would factor heavily into how the Liberty approach the offseason.

Jones's comments came as teammates emphasized their desire for Brondello to return. 'We know that our team and the people that we put in our locker room and the chemistry, the foundation of what we want our core to be is here to stay,' Jones said, underscoring the desire for continuity behind the bench. The Liberty stressed that stability is possible only if the organization remains committed to its core players, including Stewart, Ionescu and Jones, and that the surrounding roster can be strengthened through experienced veterans and fresh talent.

On the roster, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is expected to return after rehabbing from knee surgery, and the team will look to round out the supporting cast with a mix of veterans and youngsters. Fiebich has two years left on her rookie deal and Nyara Sabally has one. Marine Johannès and Rebekah Gardner are reserved free agents, meaning the Liberty retain exclusive negotiating rights with them. Natasha Cloud, Isabelle Harrison, Kennedy Burke, Emma Meesseman and Stephanie Talbot join Jones, Stewart and Ionescu as unrestricted free agents, creating a broad market of options for Kolb this offseason.

" There isn’t a player who I would admire more and would love to play alongside for the rest of my career [than] Stewie,’ Ionescu said, ‘because of how she comes out every single day for practices, for games, for anything that she takes kind of head on, she owns it, and she’s the best for a reason.’ She added that she’s honored to share the court with Stewart and appeared committed to playing with the two-time league MVP for the long haul.

The question now is how much the Liberty will change the roster and whether Brondello returns to guide the team in 2026. Brondello’s players emphatically stated their desire for her to be back as coach, stressing that the core remains intact and that the organization must stay the course to chase more championships. Injuries this season forced the Liberty to plug holes rather than consistently deploy their best lineup, a factor the players cited as a major reason the season didn’t unfold as expected.

Ultimately, the Liberty must navigate a complex offseason landscape: the CBA, potential expansion drafts, and a crowded free-agent market that could redraw the WNBA’s competitive balance. Kolb will be tasked with deciding how to preserve the team’s core while upgrading around it, a process that will test whether New York can translate its talent into sustained postseason success. For now, Stewart and Ionescu have given a clear signal that they intend to be part of that quest, and their leadership will shape how the franchise approaches a pivotal summer.