New York are champions for a reason — but Thursday night proved that it’s the unseen gears that keep the liberty engine roaring. New York’s starters came out firing, five of them racking up double-digit points and combining for 64 — just ten shy of the entire Chicago Sky roster. In a 99-74 blowout, the Liberty didn’t just win — they rewrote the script, burying 19 threes to set a new WNBA regular-season record. Natasha Cloud led the charge with 18 points, four threes, and eight assists. But in a game full of stars, it was a bench spark—not a headline name—who made the loudest noise.

Kennedy Burke didn’t start the game, but by the end, she was the story.
She came off the bench and went nuclear: 17 points, a perfect 4-of-4 from deep, and a presence that flipped the game’s rhythm. Three of those shots came off assists from Cloud, who didn’t hesitate when asked postgame about Burke’s impact.

“She is an X factor for whatever team she’s on,” Cloud said.
“She just does all the little shit. If it’s a cut, if it’s being there to help me defensively, if it’s to talk, if it’s to communicate, if it’s to brighten up the room every single day when we walk in the locker room, it’s KB.”

Burke’s stats speak loudly, but according to Cloud, it’s her timing — her feel for when to cut, rotate, or space the floor — that sets her apart. In a lineup stacked with firepower, it’s her ability to amplify that star power without needing touches that makes her invaluable.

She was right in the thick of the Liberty’s 17-2 run to close the first half, then helped balloon a 13-point lead into a 31-point cushion. Her energy, precision, and confidence made it clear: New York’s success doesn’t just ride on Stewart, Ionescu, or Jones.  It also rests on players like Burke. 

And when Natasha Cloud calls her the X-factor, it’s not just a compliment. It’s a warning to every team hoping to outgun the Liberty this season: you’re watching the stars, but it might be Burke or someone from the Liberty bench who might beat you.

Why are Sabrina Ionescu and the Liberty dangerous this season?

Wanna know why the Liberty are so terrifying?

Because there is more than one player, that is lurking in the shadows of Cloud , Steart and Ionescu.

A few weeks ago, Racheal DeMita—host of Courtside Club—issued a warning to the entire WNBA. It wasn’t about Breanna Stewart or Sabrina Ionescu. It was about a bench player: Marine Johannès.

“She’s back on the New York Liberty after playing overseas for a season,” DeMita said. “She already looks so smooth and efficient in the WNBA preseason. This might change everything for that team.”

And she wasn’t exaggerating. Johannès is a shooter that led the WNBA in three-point shooting percentage in 2022, hitting 43.7% of her shots from deep (among players with 100+ attempts).

In fact, Coach Sandy Brondello explained her proficiency the best in 2023:

“You have Marine out there on the floor; she creates something out of nothing.”

And she’s not alone. The Liberty is stocked with sharpshooters. In their recent blowout win, Kennedy Burke went 4-of-4 from deep. Rebekah Gardner adds another 33.3% career clip from three.

Even Natasha Cloud—who shot just 30.8% from deep last season—has stepped up, going 4-of-5 from long range in that same game.

But the real danger?
They’re all orbiting around Breanna Stewart, who dominates in the midrange, and Sabrina Ionescu, who hit 109 of 326 shots from beyond 20 + feet. In comparison, Johannès hit 58 of 160 from the same range in 2023.

In other words:
You can’t guard them all. The Liberty haven’t just built a superteam—they’ve surrounded their stars with long-range weapons ready to torch defenses from any angle.