The New York Liberty will attempt to secure their first win against the Dallas Wings this season when they meet on Thursday. The Liberty head to Dallas with a 13-11 record, having lost seven of their last ten games, placing them in eighth place in the standings. This road trip has been particularly challenging, with recent losses to the Lynx and Tempo after rallying from significant second-half deficits.
Dallas has won both previous matchups against New York this season and entered Thursday with an undefeated record in July. A victory over the Liberty would extend the Wings' current win streak to six games, a franchise best. The Wings have exploited New York's consistent weaknesses, including turnovers, rebounding deficiencies, inconsistent play, and vulnerable perimeter defense. The Liberty have also struggled with their shooting in past games against Dallas.
Historically, these matchups have followed a similar pattern: New York starts strong but experiences a significant downturn in one quarter, leading to an insurmountable deficit. On May 24, a particularly difficult third quarter, highlighted by Azzi Fudd's 24 points, saw the Liberty outscored 28-17, contributing to a 91-76 loss. In their most recent encounter on July 7, New York faltered in the second quarter, being outscored by 18 points to trail 47-31 at halftime.
Despite early success in their last game by attacking the interior, New York moved away from this strategy. Coach Chris DeMarco cited a lack of execution following the July 6 loss, noting, "It’s hard to run offense when you’re taking the ball out of the basket. So I think, especially the first quarter, we had some unforced turnovers and we gave a lot of offensive rebounds." Rebounding out of their zone defense, which the Liberty utilize more than any other team in the league, has been an ongoing issue. The Wings, meanwhile, are sixth in the league in offensive rebounds per game and are known for their potent transition offense.
The Liberty have also pointed to officiating and a lack of lineup consistency due to player absences as contributing factors to their struggles. Leonie Fiebich (left foot soreness) and Satou Sabally (concussion protocol) are expected to be out for the foreseeable future. However, the team acknowledges the need for internal evaluation to improve performance.