Liberty's Leonie Fiebich played Game 3 with broken rib in season-ending loss

PHOENIX — Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich played through a rib fracture in the team’s season-ending first-round loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said Thursday.

Early in the first quarter, Kahleah Copper went up for a layup and appeared to knee Fiebich in the torso, sending the Liberty veteran sprawling to the floor. Fiebich rose, doubled over in pain, left the floor and went to the locker room for examination, with Kolb following to the sideline. The moments that followed included a tense exchange as Kolb waited for word on the injury; Fiebich, who later told him, "I’m fine," remained with her teammates as the team doctor evaluated her. She returned to the court and logged 28 minutes, finishing with three points, three rebounds and one assist.

Kolb said later that an X-ray confirmed a rib fracture. The injury was a blow to Liberty, which had hoped to push deeper into the playoffs, and the team closed the season with the loss in Phoenix.

Fiebich had emerged as a permanent starter after replacing Courtney Vandersloot in the starting lineup during the 2024 playoffs. In her second season as a regular, she remained one of the league’s most efficient shooters, averaging 8.7 points per game while shooting 48.9% from the field, 42.5% from three-point range and 87.1% from the free-throw line.

Liberty’s season ends with the rib injury looming over the club’s evaluation of the offseason and how it projects its backcourt rotation for 2026. Medical staff will determine the expected timetable for Fiebich’s conditioning and readiness ahead of next season.