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For any defending champions, the pressure mounts to repeat. The New York Liberty are feeling the pressure to top their 2024 championship run. A title that Breanna Stewart defined as consequential to her career and the state of the franchise.
Now, with the WNBA season underway, the Liberty are favored to go back-to-back, per Doug Greenberg of ESPN. The Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces, and Minnesota Lynx are behind them.
The ESPN BET odds have the Liberty as +230 favorites to win the championship. The Liberty are back with a strong core, even after losing guard Courtney Vandersloot to the Chicago Sky in a trade.
They have Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu. The Liberty brought along veteran guard Natasha Cloud, whom general manager Jonathan Kolb says can “unlock” something in them.
On the other hand, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will be out for 5 to 6 months due to a knee injury. Yesterday, the Liberty suspended Hamilton's contract for the season.
Though the Liberty can contend for the championship, it will be an uphill climb for them.
The New York Liberty's chances of repeating will be difficult
The quest for the WNBA title is up for grabs. Indeed, Liberty will be one of the contending teams based purely on talent and experience.
However, the chances of repeating are not guaranteed. Especially with the rise of the Fever and the veteran presence of the Aces, the Liberty will have their work cut out for them.
The other factor is that a select few players, including Nyara Sabally, Leonie Fiebich, and Marine Johannes, will be playing in the EuroBasket tournament in June.
In the long term, New York's shot at repeating will depend on two things: first, whether they can get the most out of their core and stay healthy, and second, whether they can contend with the Fever and Aces.
