Power Rankings: Can the Liberty find their way into the top four?
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- New York Liberty went 2-8 from June 19 to July 18 but flipped to 9-2 since July 20, climbing to No. 5 at 22-14, with five of their final eight games against likely playoff teams including Indiana at home
- Breanna Stewart (20.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.2 apg) and Jonquel Jones (14.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg) have been the Liberty's pillars, each missing just one game, even as Satou Sabally, Leonie Fiebich, and Sabrina Ionescu deal with injuries
- Minnesota Lynx sit atop the rankings at 29-7, winning 14 of their past 15 games, with Napheesa Collier scoring in double figures in all nine outings since returning from ankle surgery July 22
- Indiana Fever went 3-0 this past week, beating the Liberty 106-92, Dallas 98-87, and Atlanta 95-91 in OT behind Caitlin Clark's 29-and-10 and 26-and-nine lines, pushing their record to 23-12
- Golden State Valkyries clinched their second straight playoff berth with Monday's 78-70 win over Dallas, controlling pace despite shooting just 38% from the field
- Connecticut Sun (8-25) are playing out their final season in the state before relocating to Houston for 2027, while Toronto Tempo have lost 10 straight and 14 of their past 15 in their expansion year
Why it matters: The Liberty's surge hinges on whether Stewart and Jones can carry a thin, injury-depleted supporting cast through a closing schedule that includes five playoff-bound opponents. Indiana's win over the Liberty last week gave the Fever a head-to-head tiebreaker edge in the race for home-court advantage, while Minnesota's 14-of-15 run has effectively locked up the No. 1 seed.
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