By Kaydence Kilhof,The Lead
Copyright yardbarker
In Game 1 against Phoenix, Natasha took over with 23 points, four steals, five assists, and shot 50% from behind the three. Just last month, Cloud fractured her nose in a win over the Connecticut Sun. Nothing will stop her from getting on the court, though, even if she has to wear a face guard.
Even with Cloud’s dominant performance, the Liberty only managed to squeak by the Mercury in Game 1. Cloud cannot afford to let up in Game 2.
New, But Not Improved
Although The Liberty seems to be staying afloat, they finish their regular season with statistics that don’t quite amount to their position in the 2024 regular season. The 2024 Liberty averaged 36.6 rebounds per game; the 2025 Liberty fell short of that, with 33.7. In 2024 the team averaged 22.8 assists per game; in their most recent season, New York averaged 21.8. Many other stats fell short for New York this season compared to last.
To add to the struggle, Breanna Stewart injured her left knee in Game 1 with two minutes left in overtime. Stewie underwent imaging, and head coach Sandy Brondello said that everything came back “relatively clean.” Although Stewart has been sitting out of practice, her return is on a day-to-day basis.
It appears that Stewart plans to try and play in Game 2 tonight. Without her at full capacity, the rest of the Liberty are going to have to pick up the slack.
