Liberty Open May 8 Short-Handed Against Sun — Sun Vs Liberty
sun vs liberty opens the 2026 season tonight with the New York Liberty short-handed against the Connecticut Sun. Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, Leonie Fiebich and Rebecca Allen are out, and Breanna Stewart is expected to carry the scoring load as Chris DeMarco begins his first season as head coach.
Breanna Stewart Leads New York
Stewart is the Liberty’s No. 1 scoring option for the opener, which puts the pressure on New York’s front end of the offense from the start. The Liberty are beginning title defense without four rotation players, and that shifts more of the early workload onto Stewart and the rest of the available core.
New York still brings recent home strength into the matchup. The Liberty posted a 17-5 record at Barclays Center last year, which gives them a clear edge in the building where they open this season.
Connecticut Sun Road Form
The Sun arrive after an 11-33 season in 2025, and their road numbers were even harder to ignore. Connecticut went 4-18 straight up away from home last season, which is the kind of split that puts more weight on every possession in an opener like this.
Leila Lacan is also out for Connecticut. Brittney Griner gives the Sun a front-line presence, but the broader picture remains the same: New York has controlled this series lately, winning eight of the last 10 meetings straight up.
Liberty Rotation Under DeMarco
Chris DeMarco is taking over at the top of the bench while Tina Charles retired this week, adding one more change to a roster that is already missing key names. The Liberty’s depth will be tested immediately, and the first quarter should show how quickly the new rotation can settle in without Sabrina Ionescu and the other absences.
For New York, the practical issue is simple: keep the offense organized early and avoid asking Stewart to do everything herself. For Connecticut, the opening gives a chance to challenge a depleted contender on the road, but the numbers still point to the Liberty’s recent hold on the matchup.
