The New York Liberty are grappling with a familiar challenge: an overreliance on star player Breanna Stewart to carry the team. First-year coach Chris DeMarco, who previously witnessed the Golden State Warriors' dependency on Stephen Curry, sees a parallel in the Liberty's current situation.
Despite a roster built for depth, the Liberty frequently turn to Stewart to be the primary difference-maker. This pattern was evident in recent losses, including a 93-91 defeat to the Toronto Tempo at the Bell Centre. Stewart played 37 minutes in a prior game against the Minnesota Lynx and a team-high 34 minutes against the Tempo, with DeMarco pushing for wins after the team fell behind by double digits in both contests.
The Liberty, now 13-11 on the season, have lost seven of their last ten games. They face three more games before the All-Star break: at Dallas on Thursday, at Indiana on Saturday, and at home against the Sky on July 22.
Stewart, an eight-time All-Star, is currently logging significant minutes, averaging 33 per game, her highest since her 2023 MVP season. She has played in all but one of the Liberty's 24 games, with her only absence being for scheduled rest on June 25. Her usage rate is at 27.6 percent, tied for the third-highest of her career and a slight increase from last season. This heavy workload is largely attributed to the unavailability of other key players.
Sabrina Ionescu missed the initial part of the season due to injuries and is still working back to her full impact. Satou Sabally has been in and out of the lineup for various reasons and is currently in concussion protocol. Leonie Fiebich is sidelined indefinitely with foot soreness. These absences have placed a greater burden on Stewart to stabilize the team.
Stewart continues to deliver strong individual performances, ranking sixth in the league in scoring at 20.4 points per game, 11th in rebounding with 8.4 per game, and sixth in total blocks with 29. She demonstrated her resilience by overcoming a difficult first half against the Lynx, scoring 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the second half and making crucial defensive plays. However, the team's consistent slow starts necessitate that Stewart expend considerable energy, leading to concerns about the long-term sustainability of her current workload.