The New York Liberty faced another defeat Sunday, losing 93-91 to the Toronto Tempo despite significant second-half efforts from stars Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart. The team has struggled with early game deficits, a pattern that has led to a 0-5 record in their last five games when trailing by 13 or more points.

Stewart scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half, while Ionescu contributed 12 of her 28 points in the fourth quarter. Their combined push helped the Liberty overcome a 15-point deficit, but it ultimately fell short.

"We had a great group out there that played as hard as they could, tried to get stops, push the ball in transition, but it’s a matter of will and want," Ionescu said. "And I’d say everyone that stepped out in that second half especially, played with a lot of assertiveness and try to do everything you could to get a win."

The team's habit of falling into large holes has become a point of concern. "The Liberty have trailed by 13-plus points in five of their past seven games, going 0-5 in those situations," the report stated. Stewart acknowledged not having an immediate explanation for these recurring disadvantageous situations. The Liberty currently hold a 5-6 record in clutch games, ranking them tied for 10th out of 15 teams.

A peculiar incident during the game, where Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was ejected for accidentally hitting a teammate's shoe, was cited by the team as potentially disrupting their momentum. However, rookie Pauline Astier emphasized the need for the team to start games with greater intensity.

"We should do it for all the game, not the last quarter or the second half," Astier said. "We did the same in Minnesota, we just came back in the game, but it’s not enough … We have to be better for all 40 minutes long."

Astier believes that playing a more consistent, full game would build confidence, which would translate to better execution in critical late-game moments. "We’re gonna have more confidence if we play a full game, like 100 percent," she stated. "If we all communicate more, it’s gonna be easier if we are doing this all the game. And at the end, we’re gonna be more confident, to take the shot, to take the rebound, to control the last possession … If we do this all the game, we’re gonna be I don’t know maybe up 20 and we don’t have to deal with the last possession, so yeah, I just try to be more consistent all the game."