BROOKLYN, NY — With the 54th annual West Indian Day Parade set for this coming Monday, September 1st, the New York Liberty hosted West Indian Night Thursday during their matchup against the Washington Mystics at the Barclays Center. Despite missing Sabrina Ionescu (toe) and Jonquel Jones (illness), the Liberty relied on Isabelle Harrison and Marine Johannes to deliver for a short-handed lineup.
Harrison poured in a season-high 16 points, while Johannes added 14 as the Liberty battled past the Mystics, 89-63.
Ahead of Thursday’s game, New York head coach Sandy Brondello gave updates on the team’s injuries, besides Ionescu and Jones it also included absences from starting guard Natasha Cloud (nose) and forward Nyara Sabally (knee). Brondello, trying to lighten the mood on a season draped with injuries, quipped, “Welcome to the New York Liberty 2025.”
With Johannes as the only player to appear in all 39 games this year, durability issues have been a constant storyline. Harrison made her return after a two-week concussion absence, immediately impacting the game with her shooting. The veteran-forward went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, giving Brondello another offensive weapon on one of the WNBA’s top three-point shooting teams. “It sucks being on the sideline seeing my teammates struggling, knowing I couldn’t do anything,” Harrison said in the postgame. “With JJ out, I just wanted to bring more aggressiveness with rebounding and effort.”
Breanna Stewart, in her second game back from a month-long injury absence, took on a leadership role before tip-off. With key starters unavailable, she addressed the team in a pregame meeting, telling her teammates not to dwell on who was missing but on what they could do together.
“It doesn’t matter,” Stewart said. “We’re just here to win a game.”
Breanna Stewart addressed the team before the Liberty’s win on Thursday night, her second game back from returning and nearly recorded a double-double – Image Credit: Hector Beauchamp/Latino Sports
She nearly notched a double-double, finishing one rebound shy with 12 points and nine boards.
Brondello credited the Liberty’s reserves—the “staying ready crew” of Harrison, Stephanie Talbot, and Rebekah Gardner—for their professionalism and preparation.
“It doesn’t matter if you haven’t played as many minutes as you’d like. It’s about being prepared when your number is called,” Brondello said. “Credit to all of them for putting in the hard work—and they were big for us tonight.”
Despite an eight-player rotation, Sandy Brondello and the New York Liberty improved to 24-15 on the 2025 WNBA season Thursday night with their win over the Mystics – Image Credit: WNBA
With only an eight-player rotation and three starters sidelined, the Liberty still managed to outscore Washington by 26 points at home before heading out on a critical three-game West Coast swing.
While Jones’ illness kept her out of the lineup, the night’s significance may not have been lost on her. Born in the Bahamas, Jones was sidelined for Thursday’s game on a night celebrating West Indian heritage in New York City—a tradition deeply tied to the city’s cultural & immigrant fabric. The West Indian Day Parade traces its roots back to Harlem in the 1920’s and was first officially held in Brooklyn on September 4, 1967, near Fulton Street, Dean Street, and St. John’s Place.
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Ellis Victor Andres Stevenson
September 2, 2025 at 1:36 pm
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