For a team with championship ambitions, the New York Liberty have had a fairly poor start to the 2026 season. With four losses in their first seven games, including three consecutive home outings, there are major concerns. And of course, one of the clearest explanations of this poor stretch could be injuries to key players Satou Sabally and Sabrina Ionescu. But according to analyst Steve Jones, the issues lie deeper. 

“The availability portion of the program is not an excuse. But it is something to think about and ponder,” Jones began on Yahoo Sports. According to him, it’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton who can hold them together. 

“I hope Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is okay, but I think that’s the most important thing. Her being out changed a whole lot of the math when it came to lineups and whatnot,” he said. 

Laney-Hamilton has missed the last three Liberty games against the Valkyries, Wings, and Fire, all of which they lost. In the first four games she played, the Liberty were 3-1. 

Laney-Hamilton started and averaged 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. But beyond those numbers, Laney-Hamilton is Liberty’s premier perimeter stopper. And without her on the floor to guard the best players, New York’s perimeter defense has looked noticeably weaker. 

Jones also thinks that the absence of Leonie Fiebich, who has not played a single minute yet in 2026, is also telling. “They’re still working to get Leonie Fiebich back. Those are two of the more significant dominoes in the star side of the lineup to glue everything together for what Liberty has to address on offense and defense,” he added. 

The NY Liberty has also entered an offensive slump, with their last three defeats seeing their average PPG drop from 95.2 to 73.3. The team has also shot a dismal 24.1% from three-point range across those last three games.

Ionescu and Sabally, players capable of turning the Liberty’s fortunes around, are only just beginning to find their feet after recovering from a foot issue and a cyst-related absence, respectively.

Ionescu has featured in just one game, playing 31 minutes against the Wings and scoring 11 points. Sabally, on the other hand, featured in the last three games and even dropped 20 points against the Valkyries before leaving the most recent game against the Fire after playing just four minutes. 

Help is on the way, as Ionescu and Sabally get back to their best. But the returns of Fiebich (back from basketball duty in Spain) and Laney-Hamilton (away for personal reasons) would surely help bolster them even further.

“The people who have been out are not the overall excuse, but there’s a different Liberty team on the way,” Jones concluded, giving hope for a resurgence later this season.

What is Sabrina Ionescu’s Current Fitness Status?

After sitting out the first five games of the season, Ionescu made her debut against the Dallas Wings on May 24 and played 31 minutes in that game. However, the very next game against the Portland Fire saw her sit out completely.

This then begs the question: Is she truly back from the left ankle and left foot injuries that have kept her out for nearly three weeks?

Well, the current status is that Ionescu is officially back on the active roster, but the Liberty are managing her fitness on a day-to-day basis. Missing the Fire game entirely was reportedly done purely for precautionary load-management purposes, considering she had missed nearly three weeks of live-game conditioning before returning to action.

The idea now is to continue evaluating her on a game-by-game basis. So, while she may start games, she could continue sitting out during dense stretches of the schedule until her ankle conditioning is fully back to 100%. As of now, the expectation is that she will feature in Liberty’s next game against the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday. However, she is currently listed as questionable due to a new back soreness issue on the latest injury report.

But whether she plays or not, the New York Liberty are desperately looking for a win. A fourth consecutive home loss is definitely not a good look for a team with championship ambitions.