The New York Liberty suffered an 99-88 loss to the Seattle Storm on June 25, 2026, two days after defeating the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces. The Liberty, playing without two starters including Breanna Stewart who was out for rest and Satou Sabally in concussion protocol, were unable to overcome the Storm.
Seattle controlled the game from early on, maintaining their lead despite a second-half push by New York that narrowed the deficit to four points. This loss raises questions about the Liberty's consistency, particularly their inability to consistently defeat lower-ranked teams.
"When we have two starters out, I don’t think we should ever be complacent anyways," Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco said prior to the game. "We go into every game just looking at that game, not where somebody is in the standings. [Thursday’s game is] important, and we have some — not some — we have a lot of depth, and this is why. When players are out, other players can step up, and we’re looking forward to the challenge."
However, the team's depth did not provide the usual boost. The game was marked by numerous mistakes on both ends of the court, including miscommunication leading to easy baskets for Seattle and turnovers that fueled the Storm's fast-break offense. The Liberty committed 16 turnovers, which Seattle converted into 15 points. Seattle scored 21 points on fast breaks.
The Storm, typically one of the league's weaker rebounding teams, outrebounded the Liberty 39-28. Seattle, which entered the game averaging a league-low 78.8 points per game, scored a season-high 99 points in regulation.
All five of Seattle's starters reached double-digit scoring. Rookie Flau’jae Johnson led the Storm with a career-high 28 points, and second-year center Dominique Malonga contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds. For the Liberty, Jonquel Jones was the leading scorer with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Leonie Fiebich added 19 points.
This loss concludes the Liberty's West Coast road trip. They are scheduled to play the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco on Sunday before returning to Barclays Center to host the Aces in the Commissioner's Cup final.