It has been a hell of a WNBA season overall — but for the defending champions, the New York Liberty, it’s been filled with a ton of ebbs and flows. Their season had a raucous start, going 14-1 in their first 15 games. Naturally, the injury bug hit them, and no team is immune to that. It started with the champs losing their MVP center, Jonquel Jones, to a pretty gnarly ankle sprain. Since then, there have been other dings to the team’s most significant contributors. From Breanna Stewart to team engine Natasha Cloud, the Liberty persevered.

So, although they didn’t maintain their second seed status in the league standings this year, they’re heading into this year’s playoffs almost whole. That’s music to any pro’s ear. And with that being the case, it’s fair to discuss with a retooled squad, how can the Liberty tangibly repeat as champions?

Health

Any of us could’ve guessed this one. Your best ability in sports is your availability. Had the Liberty remained whole for longer stretches of the season, we’d feel emboldened to damn near crown them as repeating champions as it was. But that’s not the case. The team has retooled with fresh talent, including Natasha Cloud and former league MVP Emma Meeseman. If everyone isn’t available, then you won’t be able to benefit from the amount of depth that the squad has.

Depth

As alluded to above, the Liberty knew two things going into this season. One was that they needed more productive bodies for a long run in the playoffs. They also needed depth on the bench, as well as in their starting lineups. All championship teams need to retool. The 2024 New York Liberty championship roster was the best in the league, but it was a veteran roster. With some veterans retiring or moving on to other squads, the mission was clear.

The Liberty picked up the ever-so energetic Cloud, in part, to compete with the likes of Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams. Williams brought the energy every night in the WNBA Finals last summer. What she lacks in efficiency, she makes up for with grit. The Liberty saw this and knew the perfect role for Cloud. It has paid off in dividends as she has put up career numbers in points and assists all year long. Additionally, with Meeseman, there’s a lovely insurance in case Jones ever goes down; there’s yet another former MVP for rivals to contend with.

Conditioning

With the injuries that have occurred, one of the most critical aspects of success for the Liberty will be conditioning. Players have to get their legs back up under them, as well as their rhythm. If the Liberty can once again find the cohesion that had them starting the season 14-1, we are looking at the once again WNBA World Champions.