The New York Liberty are healthy at the right time. The Liberty will begin defense of their WNBA title in a first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday with a full complement of players, a rarity this season.

Breanna Stewart, the 2023 MVP in her first season in New York, missed 13 games, as did 2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones. Emma Meesseman played only 17 after signing in midseason, and Sabrina Ionescu missed six before returning for the last two.

"It's the resiliency thing," Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. "What doesn't break you makes you stronger. We faced a lot of adversity, and there are a lot games where we felt we could have played better. We know when the bright lights go on, we trust the players we have out there with everyone being back."

The Liberty st

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