If there was one team that walked into the season with the championship favorite tag attached to them, it was the New York Liberty. Yes, Sandy Brondello was gone, but retaining their Big 3 and then adding Satou Sabally on top of that made the Liberty look like the team everyone had to chase.

That was until the season actually began. Instead of dominating the league the way many expected, New York have slowly found themselves slipping into a worrying downward spiral, one frustrating enough to eventually force even Breanna Stewart into doing something almost unimaginable.

After the Liberty lost 81-74 to the Portland Fire, Stewart blasted the officials during the postgame presser, which was later shared on the Liberty’s X page. The forward felt New York were not getting the same calls as their opponents.”It’s really frustrating. I feel like when we’re the aggressors we get fouls called on us. When other teams are aggressors, it’s play on. Fine, fair – but the whistle needs to go both ways,” Stewart said.

The fourth quarter in particular was where things boiled over for Breanna Stewart. When the reporter asked what was happening during that stretch, noting how visibly frustrated she appeared amid the intense physicality, she didn’t deflect. “That play specifically, I don’t know what else to do at that point based on the way that they’re calling fouls on us,” she said. “It’s really frustrating.” 

The play Breanna Stewart was referring to came during a tense fourth-quarter sequence. Stewart appeared to take a lot of contact from Emily Engstler on a block attempt near the rim, but no foul was called. Moments later, the officials called a soft touch foul on New York at the other end, which explains exactly why Stewie became so frustrated with the officiating.

To make matters worse, it was an intensely physical contest that became uncomfortable to watch at times. The two teams combined for 42 personal fouls overall, with the New York Liberty also picking up a technical foul along the way.

You can understand Stewie’s frustration because the officials allowed Portland Fire to play an overly physical style of defense without enough punishment, which eventually fueled a massive 32-17 run that completely swung the game in Portland’s favor.

It is also worth noting that this is not the first time Breanna Stewart has raised concerns about officiating this season. She voiced similar frustrations after the New York Liberty’s 98-93 overtime win over the Washington Mystics on May 10, a game where the referees called a massive 58 personal fouls combined.

“It disrupts everyone’s flow,” Stewart had said afterward, although that complaint was more about the officials being a little too whistle-happy rather than letting physical play go unchecked.

The difference between that situation and her complaint now is obviously that she now believes the referees did not make certain calls that would have gone in Liberty’s favor. And openly criticizing the referees like that could potentially get her into trouble.

We have seen in the past how players and coaches have been fined for publicly criticizing officiating. Sophie Cunningham has incurred multiple fines for speaking against referees, while Cheryl Reeve was handed a record $15,000 fine by the WNBA during last year’s playoffs for criticizing officials. And that is just scratching the surface.

Players and coaches are a lot more careful when talking about officiating nowadays, which is exactly why Breanna Stewart openly calling out the referees is not something you expect to see from her. In fact, the last time she spoke about officiating, she acknowledged that “it’s going to take time figuring out the standard of what’s going to be called.”

But was Liberty’s loss to the Fire really just down to the overly physical style of play? Well, one look at the stat sheet quickly tells you that was not entirely the case.

Stewart shot 17 free throws on the night, which shows there were at least some calls going in her favor. Meanwhile, the Fire forced the Liberty into 19 turnovers, which directly resulted in 23 points the other way. But that’s not all!

They shot the ball more efficiently, dominated the paint, and even won the scoring battle inside 36-26. It was also a strong team effort from Portland, with four different players scoring in double figures.

It is now the New York Liberty’s third straight home loss and already their fourth defeat of the season overall, something Breanna Stewart knows is far below the standard this team was expected to set.

“No, definitely not,” Stewie said when asked if she expected the Liberty to start the season 3-4. “But it’s a learning experience for everyone. My message to the players in the locker room is like, ‘Nobody expected this.’ Not to say we thought it was going to be easy, because we definitely didn’t. But it’s going to take time. There’s going to be highs and lows.”

In Liberty’s defense, they were far from fully healthy. Sabrina Ionescu was rested for the game, Leonie Fiebich is yet to make her season debut, while Satou Sabally managed to play just four minutes before illness forced her out of the contest.

The 2024 champions have also been one of the teams hit hardest by injuries this season, which is exactly why head coach Chris DeMarco still remains optimistic about what lies ahead for the Liberty.

New York Liberty Coach Chris DeMarco Stays Confident Despite Third Straight Home Loss

Of course, three consecutive home losses is not a good look for a team with championship ambitions like the New York Liberty. However, HC Chris DeMarco seems to believe that there is no major cause for alarm yet. For him, losses, especially like the one against the Portland Fire, where they blew the 10-point lead they entered the fourth quarter with, happen at times.

As he said, “I mean this is how it goes sometimes. We had a lead. We let it get away. The turnovers hurt us. As Stu (Breanna Stewart) said, we did some good things and like we’re going to be ready to play Phoenix.” Coach DeMarco in fact thinks there are some positives to draw from the game. “I do think we made a few strides defensively tonight,” he said.

He did, however, point out that there are lapses in the team’s attack, especially with turnovers. As he said, “Offensively, we have to find a rhythm. But again, when you’re just turning the ball over again and again and again, it’s hard to.” To play and get a desirable result against Phoenix, there will have to be changes. And DeMarco already assured that. “We’re going to have confidence going to the Phoenix game. We’re going to be ready to play,” he said.

The Liberty will now look to regroup quickly as they prepare for another important home game against the Phoenix Mercury. And judging by DeMarco’s comments, the team is approaching that matchup with confidence despite the recent struggles.