The 2023 New York Liberty season was the 27th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the WNBA, and their second season under head coach Sandy Brondello.
The Liberty entered the season with high expectations after trading for former MVP Jonquel Jones and signing last year's MVP Breanna Stewart as a free agent. They also signed Courtney Vandersloot, who lead the league in assists for six of the past seven seasons. The team started with an opening day hiccup as they lost to Washington, but would come back to win the rest of their May games to finish the month 3–1. They would start June splitting a back-to-back with Chicago, before winning two of their next three games. They would win four straight before losing the final game of the month to finish June 7–3. The Liberty started July with another four-game winning streak, only for it to be broken at home by Dallas. The Liberty went on another four-game winning streak before losing a make-up game to Minnesota. They would win the final game of the month to finish 9–2 in July. The team managed to extend the winning streak past four this time, as they won five straight to open August. During this streak, they secured a playoff berth on August 11. In their sixth game of the month, they defeated the Las Vegas Aces to win the Commissioner's Cup, which was the first trophy in franchise history. The Liberty's next regular season game was again against the Aces, and they would lose to end their winning streak. They won their remaining four games in August to finish the month 9–1. They won their first four games in September, and headed into the final game of the season to clinch the best record in the WNBA, but lost the season finale to finish 4–1 in September.
The Liberty finished the regular season 32–8 overall and were the second seed in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs. Their 32 wins were the most in the regular season in team history, bettering the 23 wins from 2015. However, this was the first season the WNBA played a 40-game schedule. Their winning percentage of .800 was the best in franchise history, bettering the .676 mark, also from 2015.
As the second seed in the playoffs, New York faced off against the seventh seeded Washington Mystics, and New York hosted the first two games of the three-game series. The Mystics got off to a hot start in Game One, but the Liberty dominated the final three quarters and won the game 90–75. The Liberty lead Game Two by eleven at the half, but the Mystics stormed back and forced overtime. The Liberty won the overtime period and the game 90–86 to move on to the Semifinals. There, they faced off against the third seed Connecticut Sun. The Liberty lost Game One of the series 63–78. They responded in Game Two and overcame a first quarter deficit to win 84–77. In the pivotal Game Three in Connecticut, the Liberty rode a dominant first quarter to a 92–81 victory to advance to the 2023 WNBA Finals.
The Liberty faced a familiar foe in the finals, the Las Vegas Aces. The two teams squared off five times during the regular season, with the series finishing 2–2, but the Liberty taking the Commissioner's Cup. Game One of the series, was led by the Liberty by three at halftime, but the Aces dominated the second half to win 99–82. The Aces won Game Two 104–76 and left the Liberty needing to win three straight games to become WNBA Champions. The Liberty mounted a comeback in Game Three in New York and won 87–73. Game Four started well for the Liberty, they won the first quarter by ten points, but they could not hold on and lost the game 69–70. They lost the Finals one game to three, and finished runners-up.
After the season, the Liberty were fined $25,000 while Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, and Jonquel Jones were each fined $2,000 for violating media policies.
Transactions
WNBA draft
Round Pick Player Nationality School/Team/Country 3 30 Okako Adika USC
Transactions DateTransaction December 31, 2022 Renounced the rights to Kylee Shook and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe January 12, 2023 Extended Qualifying Offers to Crystal Dangerfield, Marine Johannès, and Han Xu January 16, 2023 Traded Rebecca Allen and the 6th Pick in the 2023 WNBA draft to the Connecticut Sun, and Natasha Howard and Crystal Dangerfield to the Dallas Wings, as part of a 3-Team Trade. The Liberty received Jonquel Jones from the Sun and Kayla Thornton from the Wings. February 8, 2023 Signed Breanna Stewart to a 1-Year Deal Signed Courtney Vandersloot to a 2-Year Deal Signed Epiphanny Prince to a Training Camp Contract February 10, 2023 Signed Sika Koné to a Rookie Scale Contract February 11, 2023 Acquired the rights to Leonie Fiebich, a 2024 Second-Round Pick (from Chicago, and the right to swap 2025 First-Round Picks with Phoenix in a 4-Team Trade involving the Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and the Phoenix Mercury February 17, 2023 Signed Han Xu to the Qualifying Offer - Training Camp Contract February 28, 2023 Signed Nyara Sabally to a Rookie Scale Contract March 2, 2023 Signed Marine Johannès to her Qualifying Offer March 21, 2023 Signed Morgan Green and Stephanie Mawuli to Training Camp Contracts May 14, 2023 Signed Sabrina Ionescu to Contract Extension May 16, 2023 Decline Team Option on Didi Richards Waived Didi Richards, Morgan Green, Sika Koné, and Stephanie Mawuli May 17, 2023 Waived Epiphanny Prince May 18, 2023 Temporarily suspend the contract of Marine Johannès due to Overseas Commitments May 19, 2023 Signed Epiphanny Prince to a Hardship Contract May 24, 2023 Released Epiphanny Prince from the Hardship Contract May 30, 2023 Activated Marine Johannès June 13, 2023 Temporarily suspend the contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments June 17, 2023 Signed Epiphanny Prince to a Hardship Contract June 20, 2023 Released Epiphanny Prince from the Hardship Contract June 25, 2023 Signed Epiphanny Prince to a Hardship Contract July 5, 2023 Activated the temporarily suspended contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments July 16, 2023 Temporarily suspend the contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments August 10, 2023 Released Epiphanny Prince from the Hardship Contract August 12, 2023 Activated the temporarily suspended contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments August 31, 2023 Signed Kayla Thornton to a Contract Extension September 9, 2023 Signed Betnijah Laney to a Contract Extension September 10, 2023 Temporarily suspend the contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments
Roster changes
Additions
PersonnelSigned/TradedFormer team Jonquel Jones Traded Connecticut Sun Kayla Thornton Traded Dallas Wings Breanna Stewart Signed Seattle Storm Courtney Vandersloot Signed Chicago Sky Nyara Sabally Draft Pick 2022 Draft Pick
Subtractions PersonnelReasonNew team Natasha Howard Traded Dallas Wings Crystal Dangerfield Traded Dallas Wings Rebecca Allen Traded Connecticut Sun Sami Whitcomb Free Agency Seattle Storm Michaela Onyenwere Trade Phoenix Mercury Didi Richards Waived -
Roster
Depth Pos.StarterBench PG Courtney Vandersloot SG Sabrina Ionescu Marine Johannès SF Betnijah Laney Kayla ThorntonJocelyn Willoughby PF Breanna Stewart Nyara Sabally C Jonquel Jones Stefanie DolsonHan Xu
Schedule
Preseason
| 1 | May 10 | @ Connecticut | L 57–63 | Sika Koné (10) | Kayla Thornton (8) | Stefanie Dolson (4) | Mohegan Sun ArenaN/A | 0–1 |- | 2 | May 13 | @ Las Vegas | L 77–84 | IonescuLaney (14) | Breanna Stewart (7) | Breanna Stewart (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena4,460 | 0–2
Regular season
| 1 | May 19 | @ Washington | L 64–80 | Sabrina Ionescu (18) | Breanna Stewart (12) | Courtney Vandersloot (6) | Entertainment and Sports Arena4,200 | 0–1 |- | 2 | May 21 | Indiana | W 90–73 | Breanna Stewart (45) | Breanna Stewart (12) | IonsecuVandersloot (8) | Barclays Center8,575 | 1–1 |- | 3 | May 27 | Connecticut | W 81–65 | Breanna Stewart (21) | IonsecuThornton (7) | Courtney Vandersloot (10) | Barclays Center7,102 | 2–1 |- | 4 | May 30 | @ Seattle | W 86–78 | Breanna Stewart (25) | Breanna Stewart (11) | Courtney Vandersloot (11) | Climate Pledge Arena8,340 | 3–1
| 5 | June 2 | @ Chicago | W 77–76 | Breanna Stewart (19) | Breanna Stewart (11) | Courtney Vandersloot (8) | Wintrust Arena7,188 | 4–1 |- | 6 | June 4 | Chicago | L 82–86 | Breanna Stewart (20) | Breanna Stewart (11) | Courtney Vandersloot (10) | Barclays Center7,225 | 4–2 |- style="background:#ccc;" | 7 | June 7 | Minnesota | colspan=4 | Postponed until July 28 due to poor air quality | Barclays Center
| 8 | June 9 | @ Atlanta | W 106–83 | Sabrina Ionescu (37) | Breanna Stewart (9) | Courtney Vandersloot (11) | Gateway Center Arena3,209 | 5–2 |- | 9 | June 11 | Dallas | W 102–93 | Breanna Stewart (32) | Breanna Stewart (9) | Courtney Vandersloot (10) | Barclays Center7,615 | 6–2 |- | 10 | June 13 | Atlanta | L 79–86 | Marine Johannès (18) | Breanna Stewart (13) | StewartVandersloot (6) | Barclays Center5,719 | 6–3 |- | 11 | June 18 | Phoenix | W 89–71 | Breanna Stewart (28) | Breanna Stewart (14) | Breanna Stewart (7) | Barclays Center9,278 | 7–3 |- | 12 | June 23 | @ Atlanta | W 110–80 | Betnijah Laney (19) | Breanna Stewart (11) | Courtney Vandersloot (11) | Gateway Center Arena3,209 | 8–3 |- | 13 | June 25 | Washington | W 89–88 (OT) | Sabrina Ionescu (31) | Jonquel Jones (10) | IonescuVandersloot (6) | Barclays Center7,285 | 9–3 |- | 14 | June 27 | @ Connecticut | W 89–81 | Breanna Stewart (24) | Jonquel Jones (11) | Courtney Vandersloot (9) | Mohegan Sun Arena7,344 | 10–3 |- | 15 | June 29 | @ Las Vegas | L 81–98 | Breanna Stewart (16) | IonescuJones (6) | Sabrina Ionescu (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena9,587 | 10–4
| 16 | July 2 | @ Seattle | W 81–66 | Breanna Stewart (20) | Breanna Stewart (8) | Courtney Vandersloot (13) | Climate Pledge Arena9,110 | 11–4 |- | 17 | July 5 | Phoenix | W 99–95 | Breanna Stewart (43) | Breanna Stewart (12) | Sabrina Ionescu (9) | Barclays Center7,151 | 12–4 |- | 18 | July 8 | Seattle | W 80–76 | Breanna Stewart (25) | Breanna Stewart (8) | Sabrina Ionescu (8) | Barclays Center6,789 | 13–4 |- | 19 | July 12 | @ Indiana | W 95–87 (OT) | Sabrina Ionescu (34) | Breanna Stewart (10) | Courtney Vandersloot (12) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse6,123 | 14–4 |- | 20 | July 19 | Dallas | L 88–98 | Breanna Stewart (25) | Jonquel Jones (9) | Courtney Vandersloot (7) | Barclays Center9,012 | 14–5 |- | 21 | July 21 | @ Washington | W 96–87 | Jonquel Jones (27) | IonescuJones (11) | Sabrina Ionescu (9) | Entertainment and Sports Arena4,200 | 15–5 |- | 22 | July 23 | Indiana | W 101–83 | Betnijah Laney (22) | Jonquel Jones (11) | Courtney Vandersloot (10) | Barclays Center7,371 | 16–5 |- | 23 | July 25 | Seattle | W 86–82 | Breanna Stewart (22) | Jonquel Jones (17) | Sabrina Ionescu (12) | Barclays Center6,118 | 17–5 |- | 24 | July 27 | Atlanta | W 95–84 | Breanna Stewart (33) | Jonquel Jones (13) | Sabrina Ionescu (9) | Barclays Center6,206 | 18–5 |- | 7 | July 28 | Minnesota | L 83–88 | Breanna Stewart (23) | Jonquel Jones (11) | Sabrina Ionescu (7) | Barclays Center6,129 | 18–6 |- | 25 | July 30 | @ Los Angeles | W 87–79 | Breanna Stewart (25) | Jonquel Jones (13) | Courtney Vandersloot (9) | Crypto.com Arena8,139 | 19–6
| 26 | August 1 | @ Los Angeles | W 76–69 | Courtney Vandersloot (23) | Breanna Stewart (12) | Courtney Vandersloot (6) | Crypto.com Arena6,498 | 20–6 |- | 27 | August 4 | @ Minnesota | W 76–66 | Sabrina Ionescu (18) | Jonquel Jones (17) | Courtney Vandersloot (7) | Target Center7,631 | 21–6 |- | 28 | August 6 | Las Vegas | W 99–61 | Sabrina Ionescu (31) | Jonquel Jones (14) | Sabrina Ionescu (7) | Barclays Center11,418 | 22–6 |- | 29 | August 11 | Chicago | W 89–73 | Breanna Stewart (21) | Breanna Stewart (12) | Sabrina Ionescu (8) | Barclays Center8,070 | 23–6 |- | 30 | August 13 | @ Indiana | W 100–89 | Breanna Stewart (42) | Jonquel Jones (12) | Courtney Vandersloot (14) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse5,019 | 24–6 |- | Commissioner's Cup Final | August 15 | @ Las Vegas | W 82–63 | Marine Johannès (17) | Jonquel Jones (15) | Courtney Vandersloot (10)