by Vegas Writer
Tuesday, May 26, 2026What the heck is wrong with the New York Liberty?
It's the only question I have heading into the week, as the preseason favorites whom everyone had winning the WNBA title - or at least gave the shortest odds to do so - look nothing like the best team in the league.
They don't even look like a playoff team, sitting at 3-4 after Monday's embarrassing 81-74 loss to the expansion Portland Fire.
It was New York's second loss to the Fire this season, and its third straight during this homestand.
Yes, I know Sabrina Ionescu got the night off Monday, and I realize the Liberty are missing guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton for the third straight game, with what the team described as personal reasons, but this is (supposedly) still a championship caliber team.
Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones are former MVPs in this league.
Satou Sabally is a three-time WNBA All-Star. Marine Johannès has been a part of this chemistry and is a former EuroCup champion.
I could go down the list, because the bottom line is this is a team that should be winning, especially against a first-year team.
Must be the coach, right?
Well, when the front office decided to steer the ship away from Sandy Brondello, who helped bring the Liberty to championship status, and hire Chris DeMarco, I'm sure they had something different in mind for the start of this season.
The offense is scoring points, doing what it can to stay in games, but it's the defense that is allowing teams to hang around.
Heading into the week, the Liberty were allowing the sixth-most points in the league, 87.7 points per game.
If anything, this team reminds me of last year's Aces, who couldn't figure things out defensively through their first 28 games, going 14-14, including a 52-point home loss.
The difference is DeMarco is nowhere near Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon.
The good news is the Liberty have four more games at home before hitting the road for two straight and seven of nine away from Brooklyn.
The bad news is they host the Phoenix Mercury twice, the talented and capable Toronto Tempo and Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in a nationally televised game on a Saturday afternoon.
This one is on you, coach. Get it together.
PROP WATCH OF THE WEEK
As of right now, the MVP of the league has to be Los Angeles veteran KELSEY PLUM, who came into the week averaging a league-best 26.8 points per game on 58.9% shooting, including a 48.8% clip from 3-point range. In two road wins last week, she scored 16 points at Phoenix and 38 at Las Vegas. The latter marked the first game of her career with at least 35 points, five assists and five 3-pointers. She also entered the week leading the WNBA with three-pointers made per game (3.3) while ranking in the top five in assists per game (6.3). The two-time WNBA champion has the most games with at least 25 points this season, with five. Plum's tear could continue with the Sparks visiting the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun this week. The 31-year-old sharpshooter has a career average 14.2 points against the Mystics and 16.2 against the Sun. Keep an eye on her player prop numbers for those games.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Thursday, 10 pm eastern, INDIANA at GOLDEN STATE: A few days before the Valkyries host the defending champion Aces for a battle of mentor vs. mentee - Hammon vs. Valks coach Natalie Nakase - defensive-minded Golden State will host Clark and the Fever to town. Both teams entered the week 4-2 after the Fever defeated Golden State, 90-82, on Friday. Things got chippy between Tip Hayes and Clark, and now they'll be in San Francisco, where the Valkyries have been tough to beat since they entered the league last season. Indiana will bring a three-game win streak with it, while the Valks will be in after warming up against lowly Connecticut in a blowout win on Monday. The Aces-Valkyries matchup could easily be the featured game, but with revenge on the brain, it'll be interesting to see how Nakase's troops defend whiny Clark and company.
RANKINGS:
1. Atlanta Dream - Is Allisha Gray going to make a run at MVP this season? Meanwhile, I hope Angel Reese haters are writhing at her success.
2. Golden State Valkyries - An important four-game homestand started off well. The games against Indiana and Las Vegas will tell us plenty.
3. Las Vegas Aces - The defending champs have two losses, both at home, and both after getting their championship rings and raising the championship banner. Now that those two ceremonies are done, they can get on to business.
4. Indiana Fever - There should be a prop of how many times Clark spreads her arms wide and opens her mouth in displeasure in one game. Whiniest player in the league.
5. Dallas Wings - Azzi Fudd's game finally came to life in New York, and reminded everyone why she was chosen No. 1 overall. And it's not because she's dating Paige Bueckers. Well, not altogether why.
6. Minnesota Lynx - The Lynx are quietly getting things done with one of the most efficient offenses in the league, and that's without Napheesa Collier.
7. Portland Fire - I don't understand this team one bit, and clearly was off base in fading it in Toronto and New York. After two major wins, it heads home for the Sun, Dream and Fever. Interesting gauntlet.
8. Los Angeles Sparks - As of now, the Sparks go as Plum goes.
9. Chicago Sky - My fear is coach Tyler Marsh doesn't make it to the All-Star break with a talented and capable roster. Oh, and is it time to put Kia Nurse out to pasture?
10. Toronto Tempo - Was a tough road trip to blame with this team's home loss to Portland? I'd like to think so, rather than assuming it isn't that good.
11. New York Liberty - See above. That's all!
12. Seattle Storm - After a 1-4 start, the Storm have won two in a row. But, the wins came against Connecticut and Washington. One more at home against the Mystics before two tough ones on the road.
13. Washington Mystics - Things started off promising for this bunch, but it's now lost three of four. Wednesday in Seattle and Friday at home against the Sparks could drop this team to 2-5 by next week.
14. Phoenix Mercury - Not sure what is going on with Nate Tibbetts group, but it's not looking good with losses in five of its last six. Back-to-back games in Brooklyn and a total of seven road games in eight contests don't help.
15. Connecticut Sun - I say this with confidence: I don't know if they're winning five games this season.
It's the only question I have heading into the week, as the preseason favorites whom everyone had winning the WNBA title - or at least gave the shortest odds to do so - look nothing like the best team in the league.
They don't even look like a playoff team, sitting at 3-4 after Monday's embarrassing 81-74 loss to the expansion Portland Fire.
It was New York's second loss to the Fire this season, and its third straight during this homestand.
Yes, I know Sabrina Ionescu got the night off Monday, and I realize the Liberty are missing guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton for the third straight game, with what the team described as personal reasons, but this is (supposedly) still a championship caliber team.
Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones are former MVPs in this league.
Satou Sabally is a three-time WNBA All-Star. Marine Johannès has been a part of this chemistry and is a former EuroCup champion.
I could go down the list, because the bottom line is this is a team that should be winning, especially against a first-year team.
Must be the coach, right?
Well, when the front office decided to steer the ship away from Sandy Brondello, who helped bring the Liberty to championship status, and hire Chris DeMarco, I'm sure they had something different in mind for the start of this season.
The offense is scoring points, doing what it can to stay in games, but it's the defense that is allowing teams to hang around.
Heading into the week, the Liberty were allowing the sixth-most points in the league, 87.7 points per game.
If anything, this team reminds me of last year's Aces, who couldn't figure things out defensively through their first 28 games, going 14-14, including a 52-point home loss.
The difference is DeMarco is nowhere near Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon.
The good news is the Liberty have four more games at home before hitting the road for two straight and seven of nine away from Brooklyn.
The bad news is they host the Phoenix Mercury twice, the talented and capable Toronto Tempo and Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in a nationally televised game on a Saturday afternoon.
This one is on you, coach. Get it together.
PROP WATCH OF THE WEEK
As of right now, the MVP of the league has to be Los Angeles veteran KELSEY PLUM, who came into the week averaging a league-best 26.8 points per game on 58.9% shooting, including a 48.8% clip from 3-point range. In two road wins last week, she scored 16 points at Phoenix and 38 at Las Vegas. The latter marked the first game of her career with at least 35 points, five assists and five 3-pointers. She also entered the week leading the WNBA with three-pointers made per game (3.3) while ranking in the top five in assists per game (6.3). The two-time WNBA champion has the most games with at least 25 points this season, with five. Plum's tear could continue with the Sparks visiting the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun this week. The 31-year-old sharpshooter has a career average 14.2 points against the Mystics and 16.2 against the Sun. Keep an eye on her player prop numbers for those games.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Thursday, 10 pm eastern, INDIANA at GOLDEN STATE: A few days before the Valkyries host the defending champion Aces for a battle of mentor vs. mentee - Hammon vs. Valks coach Natalie Nakase - defensive-minded Golden State will host Clark and the Fever to town. Both teams entered the week 4-2 after the Fever defeated Golden State, 90-82, on Friday. Things got chippy between Tip Hayes and Clark, and now they'll be in San Francisco, where the Valkyries have been tough to beat since they entered the league last season. Indiana will bring a three-game win streak with it, while the Valks will be in after warming up against lowly Connecticut in a blowout win on Monday. The Aces-Valkyries matchup could easily be the featured game, but with revenge on the brain, it'll be interesting to see how Nakase's troops defend whiny Clark and company.
RANKINGS:
1. Atlanta Dream - Is Allisha Gray going to make a run at MVP this season? Meanwhile, I hope Angel Reese haters are writhing at her success.
2. Golden State Valkyries - An important four-game homestand started off well. The games against Indiana and Las Vegas will tell us plenty.
3. Las Vegas Aces - The defending champs have two losses, both at home, and both after getting their championship rings and raising the championship banner. Now that those two ceremonies are done, they can get on to business.
4. Indiana Fever - There should be a prop of how many times Clark spreads her arms wide and opens her mouth in displeasure in one game. Whiniest player in the league.
5. Dallas Wings - Azzi Fudd's game finally came to life in New York, and reminded everyone why she was chosen No. 1 overall. And it's not because she's dating Paige Bueckers. Well, not altogether why.
6. Minnesota Lynx - The Lynx are quietly getting things done with one of the most efficient offenses in the league, and that's without Napheesa Collier.
7. Portland Fire - I don't understand this team one bit, and clearly was off base in fading it in Toronto and New York. After two major wins, it heads home for the Sun, Dream and Fever. Interesting gauntlet.
8. Los Angeles Sparks - As of now, the Sparks go as Plum goes.
9. Chicago Sky - My fear is coach Tyler Marsh doesn't make it to the All-Star break with a talented and capable roster. Oh, and is it time to put Kia Nurse out to pasture?
10. Toronto Tempo - Was a tough road trip to blame with this team's home loss to Portland? I'd like to think so, rather than assuming it isn't that good.
11. New York Liberty - See above. That's all!
12. Seattle Storm - After a 1-4 start, the Storm have won two in a row. But, the wins came against Connecticut and Washington. One more at home against the Mystics before two tough ones on the road.
13. Washington Mystics - Things started off promising for this bunch, but it's now lost three of four. Wednesday in Seattle and Friday at home against the Sparks could drop this team to 2-5 by next week.
14. Phoenix Mercury - Not sure what is going on with Nate Tibbetts group, but it's not looking good with losses in five of its last six. Back-to-back games in Brooklyn and a total of seven road games in eight contests don't help.
15. Connecticut Sun - I say this with confidence: I don't know if they're winning five games this season.
