2021 New York Liberty season

The 2021 New York Liberty season was the 25th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the WNBA. The Liberty opened the regular season on May 14, 2021 versus the Indiana Fever.

The Liberty started the season strong by winning their first three games and only losing two of their seven games in May. However, June turned into a much worse month for the team as wins were book-ended by two losses. The team finished 3–7 in June. Things looked to be turning around in July as the Liberty won their first two games, but they lost their last two games of the month to take a 10–11 overall record into the Olympic break. The post-Olympic break stretch of the season proved difficult for the Liberty. They won their second game out of the break after losing their first, but then went on an eight game losing streak that stretched into September. Going into the last game of the season, the Liberty were part of a three way tie for the eighth, and final playoff seed. The Liberty defeated Washington and Los Angeles lost their final game, so the Liberty won the tiebreaker and qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed with a final record of 12–20.

As the eighth seed, the Liberty played the fifth seeded Phoenix Mercury in Phoenix in the First Round. The game was more competitive than many expected and it came down to the wire. However, the Liberty were edged out 82–83 and their season came to an end.

Transactions

WNBA draft

Trades/Roster Changes

Roster

Game log

Preseason

|- | 1 | May 3 | @ Connecticut | colspan=4 | Scrimmage | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>0 | 0–0 |- | 2 | May 11 | Dallas | colspan=4 | Scrimmage | Barclays Center | 0–0

Regular season

|- | 1 | May 14 | Indiana | W 90–87 | Betnijah Laney (30) | Sabrina Ionescu (6) | Sabrina Ionescu (11) | Barclays Center<br>1,139 | 1–0 |- | 2 | May 16 | @ Indiana | W 73-65 | Betnijah Laney (20) | Kylee Shook (7) | Laney<br>Whitcomb<br>Ionescu (4) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse<br>No Fans | 2–0 |- | 3 | May 18 | Minnesota | W 86–75 | Sabrina Ionescu (26) | Sabrina Ionescu (10) | Sabrina Ionescu (12) | Barclays Center<br>815 | 3–0 |- | 4 | May 21 | @ Washington | L 72–101 | Betnijah Laney (20) | Sami Whitcomb (7) | Ionescu<br>Laney (5) | Entertainment and Sports Arena<br>No Fans | 3–1 |- | 5 | May 23 | @ Chicago | W 93–85 | Betnijah Laney (20) | Natasha Howard (7) | Sabrina Ionescu (12) | Wintrust Arena<br>1,332 | 4–1 |- | 6 | May 24 | Dallas | W 88–81 | Betnijah Laney (26) | Sabrina Ionescu (9) | DiDi Richards (5) | Barclays Center<br>894 | 5–1 |- | 7 | May 29 | Atlanta | L 87–90 | Michaela Onyenwere (29) | Laney<br>Stokes (6) | Betnijah Laney (11) | Barclays Center<br>1,235 | 5–2

|- | 8 | June 3 | Las Vegas | L 82–94 | Betnijah Laney (23) | Kiah Stokes (13) | Sabrina Ionescu (9) | Barclays Center<br>1,389 | 5–3 |- | 9 | June 5 | @ Connecticut | L 64–85 | Rebecca Allen (14) | Sami Whitcomb (5) | Betnijah Laney (6) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>2,118 | 5–4 |- | 10 | June 13 | @ Phoenix | W 85–83 | Betnijah Laney (23) | Jones<br>Laney (7) | Betnijah Laney (10) | Phoenix Suns Arena<br>4,476 | 6–4 |- | 11 | June 15 | @ Las Vegas | L 78–100 | Jazmine Jones (17) | Kylee Shook (9) | Betnijah Laney (6) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>2,115 | 6–5 |- | 12 | June 17 | @ Las Vegas | L 76–103 | Betnijah Laney (20) | Sami Whitcomb (6) | Sami Whitcomb (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena<br>No Fans | 6–6 |- | 13 | June 20 | @ Los Angeles | W 76–73 | Rebecca Allen (19) | Sami Whitcomb (9) | Betnijah Laney (5) | Los Angeles Convention Center<br>731 | 7–6 |- | 14 | June 22 | Chicago | L 72–92 | Betnijah Laney (18) | Sabrina Ionescu (8) | Sabrina Ionescu (7) | Barclays Center<br>1,419 | 7–7 |- | 15 | June 24 | Chicago | L 68–91 | Michaela Onyenwere (16) | Kylee Shook (11) | Sabrina Ionescu (5) | Barclays Center<br>2,148 | 7–8 |- | 16 | June 26 | @ Atlanta | W 101–78 | Sami Whitcomb (30) | Kylee Shook (11) | Sabrina Ionescu (8) | Gateway Center Arena<br>1,605 | 8–8 |- | 17 | June 29 | @ Atlanta | L 69–73 | Betnijah Laney (16) | Kylee Shook (8) | Betnijah Laney (7) | Gateway Center Arena<br>1,131 | 8–9

|- | 18 | July 3 | Washington | W 82–79 | Betnijah Laney (19) | Sami Whitcomb (9) | Sabrina Ionescu (5) | Barclays Center<br>1,615 | 9–9 |- | 19 | July 5 | Dallas | W 99–96 | Sami Whitcomb (26) | Kylee Shook (8) | Sabrina Ionescu (12) | Barclays Center<br>1,677 | 10–9 |- | 20 | July 9 | @ Indiana | L 69–82 | Betnijah Laney (23) | Betnijah Laney (8) | Ionescu<br>Laney<br>Shook (4) | Indiana Farmers Coliseum<br>No Fans | 10–10 |- | 21 | July 11 | Connecticut | L 54–71 | Kylee Shook (16) | Ionescu<br>Whitcomb (7) | Ionescu<br>Richards<br>Whitcomb (3) | Barclays Center<br> | 10–11

|- | 22 | August 15 | @ Minnesota | L 78–88 | Natasha Howard (30) | Sabrina Ionescu (7) | Sabrina Ionescu (6) | Target Center<br>3,534 | 10–12 |- | 23 | August 18 | Seattle | W 83–79 | Allen<br>Laney (17) | Ionescu<br>Laney (7) | Betnijah Laney (8) | Barclays Center<br>2,103 | 11–12 |- | 24 | August 20 | Seattle | L 83–99 | Sami Whitcomb (26) | Natasha Howard (13) | Sami Whitcomb (8) | Barclays Center<br>3,889 | 11–13 |- | 25 | August 22 | Los Angeles | L 83–86 | Howard<br>Whitcomb (17) | Natasha Howard (11) | Betnijah Laney (9) | Barclays Center<br>N/A | 11–14 |- | 26 | August 25 | Phoenix | L 79–106 | Betnijah Laney (20) | Allen<br>Laney (8) | Sabrina Ionescu (7) | Barclays Center<br>1,872 | 11–15 |- | 27 | August 27 | Phoenix | L 64–80 | Natasha Howard (18) | Sabrina Ionescu (10) | Sabrina Ionescu (9) | Barclays Center<br>2,315 | 11–16 |- | 28 | August 31 | @ Minnesota | L 66–74 | Ionescu<br>Laney (17) | Michaela Onyenwere (10) | Sabrina Ionescu (6) | Target Center<br>3,221 | 11–17

|- | 29 | September 2 | @ Seattle | L 75–85 | Sabrina Ionescu (20) | Betnijah Laney (7) | Sabrina Ionescu (7) | Angel of the Winds Arena<br>3,592 | 11–18 |- | 30 | September 11 | @ Dallas | L 76–77 | Betnijah Laney (19) | Natasha Howard (11) | Ionescu<br>Laney (6) | College Park Center<br>2,888 | 11–19 |- | 31 | September 15 | @ Connecticut | L 69–98 | Natasha Howard (25) | Natasha Howard (8) | Sabrina Ionescu (5) | Mohegan Sun Arena<br>4,012 | 11–20 |- | 32 | September 17 | Washington | W 91–80 | Natasha Howard (24) | Natasha Howard (10) | Betnijah Laney (11) | Barclays Center<br>3,615 | 12–20

Playoffs

|- | 1 | September 23 | @ Phoenix | 82–83 | Betnijah Laney (25) | Natasha Howard (10) | Sabrina Ionescu (11) | Grand Canyon University Arena<br>5,827 | 0–1

Standings

Playoffs

Awards and honors

Statistics

Source:

Regular season

References

External links

• The Official Site of the New York Liberty