The injury curse that plagued the New York Liberty in 2025 has followed them into the new season. A 27-17 record and a first-round exit last year told only part of the story, with Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart both missing significant time. In 2026, the problem has only deepened.

Sabrina Ionescu started the season on the bench, and Satou Sabally was sidelined nursing a concussion and a cyst. Sabally’s return looked very promising, with her thumping 20-point performance offering us a glimpse of what she could bring for the Liberty. But the relief was short lived. In just her second game back, Sabally headed to the locker room mid-game and this could be a real concern for New York to worry about.

“It’s all continuing to gain confidence after a horrific injury… She’s been awesome. She loves to play this game and she’s a big piece for us,” coach Chris DeMarco said regarding Sabally ahead of the game against Portland.  However, Sabally ended up playing only 4 minutes against Portland, as she was ruled out of the game with illness. 

“It’s an illness, she wasn’t feeling well,” Chris DeMarco said after the game (via Myles Ehlrich).

It was another setback for the Liberty. They were already without Sabrina Ionescu. Ionescu was listed as questionable on the injury report before being ruled out about 60 minutes before tip. She is being slowly returned to the fold and is expected to return in the next matchup. 

New York was also missing guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton for the third straight game with what the team described as personal reasons. They are also missing Leonie Fiebich, who has only returned from her time overseas and is adjusting to life in New York. 

These missing pieces meant Chris DeMarco was stretched thin. And it cost them dearly against the Fire. The team went down 81-74 to the expansion franchise to add to their recent woes. They have lost three straight home games by a combined 39 points. The lack of depth was the major reason against Portland, as the Liberty bench contributed only 14 points while the Fire had 34 points. 

Marine Johannes was up to the task with 17 points and 6 assists. Like almost always. Breanna Stewart led the team with 25 points and 7 rebounds. They needed another impactful player on both sides of the court to take them over the line and it could have been Sabally if not for her illness. But for DeMarco, there was one differentiating factor for their second loss to Portland.

Chris DeMarco Acknowledges Satou Sabally Injury Impact After Late-Game Meltdown

Satou Sabally averaged 16.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game with the Mercury last year, guiding them to the finals. She was one of their premier outside shooters, averaging 4.5 attempts at 44.4% accuracy. And with Ionescu out, the team needed Sabally. While DeMarco acknowledged some struggles due to Sabally’s exit, he zeroed in on their fourth quarter collapse as well. 

“With Satou going out of the game, we’re piecing together lineups… but we were happy with our defense until that fourth quarter,” DeMarco said. “19 turnovers for 23 points. There’s no defense for turnovers.”

Without their premier point guard, the Liberty just couldn’t take care of the ball. Admittedly, the Fire were already one of the best teams in the league at forcing turnovers coming into this game. But that’s not a good enough reason for a team like Liberty. They conceded a 12-0 run that fueled the Fire run in the fourth quarter. “We had some ill-advised turnovers. I think defensively we have a whole other level we can take it to but it’s taking care of the basketball,” Jonquel Jones said. 

They were also beaten on the fastbreak for 12 points while scoring just 4 of their own. Even lost 29-27 on the boards. The Fire had a total of 75 shots to Liberty’s 52 which is a major differential that eventually gave Liberty the loss. Now, the road does not get easier as they face their 2025 first-round opponent, the Phoenix Mercury, in consecutive games.