LOS ANGELES — The Liberty have spent this season experimenting with different lineups and searching for answers.
With Leonie Fiebich and Satou Sabally sidelined, the latest pressing question for coach Chris DeMarco centers on slowing elite opposing guards.
The Liberty may have won Wednesday, their final game before the All-Star break, but Sky rookie Sydney Taylor dropped 31 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 4-for-7 from deep.
Fiebich and Sabally are the Liberty’s most versatile wing defenders, who often take on the toughest perimeter assignments. Without them, there’s been a noticeable drop-off whenever the Liberty face a team with a dynamic backcourt scorer.
There’s not one player who alone can replace the defensive versatility missing with Fiebich and Sabally out of action.
“Having those two out is a big loss in terms of the size in particular,” Rebecca Allen said Monday. “But I think it’s never just one 1-on-1 matchup… it has to be a team effort because ultimately, if you’re playing a game of just one-on-one, the whole game is going to be really damn hard.”
Allen emphasized that slowing those guards requires help at every level of the defense.
“It’s about always being like, yes, you got your matchup, you know their strengths, their weaknesses, but it’s also about your teammates being there to help because everyone’s going to make some mistakes,” she said. “Having that low man defensively in terms of the size (in Jonquel Jones)… and having you know your guards next to you in the gaps and helping. So, I think that’s the big mindset too is it’s not just one person who’s shutting down one of the main players. I think it’s a collective effort.”
That’s easier said than done when two of the team’s longest, most switchable defenders aren’t available and there’s no timeline for when they might return as the Liberty open up the next chapter of their season Tuesday against the Sparks.
Fiebich, who’s been out for more than three weeks with a left foot injury, joined the team in Los Angeles but did an individual workout Monday.
Meanwhile, Sabally didn’t make the trip, and the Liberty have been vague about where she’s at in her return from a concussion.
Adding a wrinkle to this, too, is that Betnijah Laney-Hamilton hasn’t played in any of the last three games, despite being available.
Her benching has also fueled speculation that she could be a trade candidate by the Aug. 2 deadline.
Laney-Hamilton isn’t the same player she was prior to the injury, but her fluctuating playing time — or in the case of late not having any opportunity at all — has made it hard for her to establish herself.
Laney-Hamilton being seemingly unplayable at the moment has left New York with fewer options to throw at explosive opposing guards. Whether that changes in the next few weeks could evolve into a problem general manager Jonathan Kolb may have to address with a midseason trade.
Regardless, the Liberty’s defensive approach changes depending on the opponent.
“It just depends on the matchup,” DeMarco said. “With Taylor especially, like you could see Bec Allen early was like contesting those shots… Then you’re going to bring a second defender, and you’re going to put two on the ball to get out of her hands, and then who’s around here? You have to worry about do they have enough shooting? Like they’re going to put a small on their big, whatever it is. So sort of have to build your game plan for what Plan B might be if a player like that gets going.”
Liberty developmental player Marine Fauthoux was among the 14 players picked by the French women’s team brass to participate in a camp leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
Camp is scheduled to open Aug. 19 and will include several friendly matches against Italy and China.
The Liberty play in Chicago Aug. 18 and have three games scheduled after that before the World Cup break that they could be without Fauthoux, who’s averaging six points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22.7 minutes across New York’s past two games.
Marine Johannés was a full participant after not playing in last week’s win against the Chicago Sky with a left ankle injury.
“She looked good today,” DeMarco said. “She’s closer to playing tomorrow, for sure.”
