SAN FRANCISCO -- The New York Liberty are in search mode.
They are searching for their identity, for chemistry and continuity, and, perhaps most importantly, for passion.
Following their 76-65 loss Sunday to the Golden State Valkyries -- the Liberty's fourth defeat in five games -- forward Breanna Stewart challenged her team to play with a heightened level of intensity.
"You can't play with heart and play with effort just when things are going good," Stewart said. "It's really the moments when you're at the lowest. And this team -- we're obviously not a finished product, but this wasn't a great showing, especially coming off of a loss."
Stewart's message echoed a similar one forward Jonquel Jones shared after the Liberty dropped a game to the Seattle Storm just two days before, telling reporters, "It's not about the reps, it's not about playing time, it's not about none of that stuff. It's about having some heart and playing with some f---ing heart."
The Liberty entered this season considered major title contenders, expanding their big three of Stewart, Jones and Sabrina Ionescu to include star forward Satou Sabally. But they also introduced a new coach in Chris DeMarco, who came with a different offensive system. Ionescu missed the first month of the season due to injury and Sabally has been in and out of the lineup.
Twenty games into their season, the Liberty are 12-8 and fifth in the WNBA standings. Stewart said she isn't surprised by the up-and-down stretch.
"When you think it's going to go good, sometimes it goes back, and vice versa," Stewart said. "I think the biggest thing that I continue to preach to the team is [don't get] too high or too low. Of course, these games, when we take these Ls, are going to matter later.
"There are some we will look back on and be upset about later. But the focus is on now. That's all we can do."
New York couldn't find an offensive rhythm against the Valkyries on Sunday. It all came to a head in the final minutes of the first half, when Golden State closed the second period on a 13-2 run to take a 12-point lead.
The Liberty scored a season-low 29 first-half points. Their 65 total points was also a 2026 low. They trailed by at least 20 points (22) for the second game this season -- both against the Valkyries.
"We have to learn to turn it on," DeMarco said. "When we're down, we've got to make our own run."
Ionescu was held to zero points at halftime -- the fourth time that has happened this season. She finished with nine points on 3-of-10 shooting, while Stewart had 15 points and Jones led the team with 21.
Golden State's bench outscored New York's 39-11. The Valkyries also weren't rattled by the Liberty's size advantage and outrebounded them 30-24.
"It's never pointing fingers at anyone besides ourselves, knowing that we are the ones out there playing," Ionescu said. "Obviously, it's an opportunity for us to regroup after this road trip. We play again really soon and we have to focus on the things that we can continue to get better on."
The Liberty's next game is one with a little more on the line: the Commissioner's Cup final against the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday. It's a rematch against the only team New York has beaten since June 19.
