Liberty vs. Valkyries preview: End of the tough road trip

After what looked like a team that was starting to find their groove again with their 97-86 victory against the Las Vegas Aces, the New York Liberty are yet again coming off a loss that was way below their championship-level standards. As our dear friend Lucas Kaplan explained, there were multiple possessions against the Seattle Storm where effort was just simply not put in, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

Playing down to your opponent’s level will not help the Liberty moving forward, especially it causes conversations to be had on what kind of lineups should be thrown out on the floor.

The Liberty certainly cannot have that mindset tonight as their next opponent will be a young and promising Golden State Valkyries squad. The Valkyries currently sit as the fourth best team in the WNBA, led by two-way star and All-Star candidate Gabby Williams.

Table of Contents

Where To Watch

Catch the action at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and FUBO TV.

Injuries

All clear for the Liberty.

For the Valkyries, Laeticia Amihere is a game-time decision due to muscle spasms.

The Game

This is the final warm-up for the Liberty before Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Cup final at Barclays Center. And for a team who’s been up and down, hurt and kind of confusing, it’s also an opportunity to show that they are a top team in the W. Make no mistake, the Libs need this one. It’s also the final game of their West Coast road trip.

The Valkyries are also championship contenders and back in May, they routed the Libs, 87-70, at Barclays Center. It was a rough go for New York. New York came into that game averaging a league-best 100 points in its first four contests, but struggled to score against Golden State. The Liberty also couldn’t stop the Valkyries on the other end. Golden State had five players in double figures, led by Gabby Williams 16.

And while the Aces win was a great tonic, it’s the only win so far on their four-game road trip. Like we said, they need it.

Player to Watch: Gabby Williams

Since the Golden State Valkyries joined the league last season, they have had nothing but instant success. During the 2025 season, they became the first expansion team to make the WNBA playoffs in league history. This season, the Valkyries look to be on the same path and then some.

It all starts with forward Gabby Williams. As her offensive game has tremendously improved over her career (didn’t average double digit points until the 2024 season), her defensive impact has always made her a force on the court.

This season, she has really taken a jump and established herself as one of the best two-way players in the world, averaging 16.3 PPG (five point jump from last season), and 1.6 steals per game, which is good for eighth in the league.

As a whole, the Valkyries this season rank top 10 in both blocks and steals, which means the Liberty will have to play with a sense of urgency on the offensive end. This is important for players like Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who didn’t shoot as many threes as she should’ve. The backcourt of Pauline Astier and Sabrina Ionescu will be an important factor as well.

From the Vault

Tony Brown, whose Tony Brown’s Journal served as one of the first network television broadcasts devoted to news of African-American life, died last week at 93, his death announced by his family on Facebook. For 40 years, until 2008, the West Virginia native, hosted the PBS show which at one point drew five million viewers. His guests were a long list of American American artists, politicians and thinkers that included Lena Horne, Jesse Jackson, Angela Davis, Bill Cosby and Sammy Davis Jr.

His reports were often controversial but neither he nor WNET which produced the series wavered in their commitment to the community. Here’s some clips…

Rest in power, Mr. Brown.

More reading: TheValkyriesBlog, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, New York Daily News, No Cap Space, New York Post, Newsday, The Athletic, NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, The Stomp, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The IX Basketball