The 2025 WNBA season has surprised in a number of ways. The expansion Golden State Valkyries have a winning record, but the Las Vegas Aces do not. The Indiana Fever are one game under .500 with Caitlin Clark out of the lineup and just one game over .500 when she plays. Three rookies made the All-Star Game for the first time since 2011.

Few people could have seen those things coming before the season, but the most surprising development of the season thus far might be the New York Liberty going 3-6 following a 9-0 start. The defending champion Liberty were widely expected to contend for another title, but their recent struggles have put that in doubt. Let’s take a look at how the Liberty got here, and if they have time to turn their season around.

On some level, understanding the Liberty’s season isn’t that complicated. Only two of their first nine games were against teams that currently have a winning record, so we probably shouldn’t be shocked they got off to a good start. Since then, they’ve played just two games against teams that don’t have a winning record. The tough schedule has been exacerbated by Lonquel Jones’s ankle injury. The Liberty are 8-1 when Jones plays and 4-5 when she is out.

As you might expect of a team missing a four-time All-Defense selection, the Liberty have mostly struggled defensively. Since June 14, only the Sparks and Sun have a worse defensive rating than the Liberty. It probably isn’t a coincidence that the Sparks are one of the three teams New York has beaten in that time. New York also has the third-lowest rebounding rate and the lowest offensive-rebounding rate since June 14.

Unfortunately for the Liberty, I’m not sure there is a whole lot they can do defensively with Jones out. With Netnijah Laney-Hamilton out for the season following knee surgery, the Liberty doesn’t have anyone to chase the other team’s best perimeter players. And now with Jones out, they don’t have anyone to clean up messes in the paint, either. One change I would like to see the Liberty try is inserting Rebekah Gardner in the starting lineup for Kennedy Burke. Burke provides nice size in the starting lineup, but the Liberty have a 99.8 defensive rating when she is on the court, compared to 96.1 with Gardner on the court. Burke has made 50 percent of her threes on 5.8 attempts per 36 minutes, which is probably why she has stayed in the lineup, but Gardner can space the floor as well while defending the other team’s best guards.

Offensively, I think the Liberty need to get to the basket more often. They are a great three-point shooting team, and they use that gravity to make effective cuts to the basket, but it is rare to see them get an open layup outside of transition. Everything looks difficult, especially for Breanna Stewart. Stewart is actually shooting 77.9 percent on twos, by far the highest percentage of her career. She is also shooting a career-low 19.6 percent on threes, on career-low volume. Stewart has been too good of a shooter in her career to struggle like this for too long, but the Liberty need to focus on getting her easier looks. I would like to see some more inverted pick-and-rolls. With New York’s many guards. Natasha Cloud is a very good screener for her size, and Ionescu’s three-point shooting would make her a good candidate to screen for Stewart as well.

Even with Jonquel Jones missing half the season, the Liberty are still firmly in the hunt for the second seed and another WNBA Finals appearance. They are second in the league in offensive rating and third in defensive rating. Their 8.9 net rating is second-best in the league. That, if nothing else, cements their contender status. They are also one of the best clutch teams in the league, going 6-2 in games with clutch time and a 23.3 net rating.

In addition to getting Jonquel Jones back and getting Breanna Stewart’s groove back, the Liberty would do well to trade for a defensive-minded big. Leonie Fiebich has played well, but I believe the Liberty have missed the presence of newly minted All-Star Kayla Thornton. If they could give up a second or third-round pick to add someone like Elizabeth Williams, it could shore up the interior bench defense while providing insurance in case Jones suffers another injury. The Liberty should be aggressive at the deadline, because even though the last few weeks have exposed their flaws, they are still in an excellent position to make a third-straight WNBA Finals.