Despite their shaky regular season, which has featured highs such as an eight-game winning streak and lows like a stretch of eight losses in 10 games, the Liberty are officially back in the playoffs.
They clinched Sunday night — alongside the Mystics — when the Fire lost to Washington 105-100.
That ensured the Liberty returned to the postseason tournament for a sixth consecutive season, though their seeding will still be determined over the final six games.
They ended Sunday night as the No. 6 seed at 23-15, with the Fever occupying the No. 5 seed at 25-14 and the Dream at No. 4 with a 24-13 record.
But the real quest for the Liberty — and what their 2026 campaign will ultimately be judged by — begins when their first-round series opens next month.
They brought in Chris DeMarco as head coach last offseason to spark a trip back to the WNBA Finals, a stage where they lost in 2023 before winning the first title in franchise history one year later.
Last season, the Liberty lost to the Mercury in the first round, which was followed by Sandy Brondello’s firing.
Their core remained intact.
The presence of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu ensured that the Liberty would still be viewed as contenders, even as they dealt with injuries to Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich and Satou Sabally throughout the season.
But as the stretch run continues, the Liberty have started to get healthy again — with the exception of Sabally, who remains away from the team with a head injury.
They won for the seventh time in the past nine games with a statement win over the Fever at Barclays Center on Saturday, using 22 points from Stewart, 20 from Fiebich and a double-double from Jones to secure a seven-point win over a team they could pass in the standings.
