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Liberty Have Secret Ingredient Heading Into Playoffs

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Saturday, September 13th 2025 at 15:33 GMT by Sports Illustrated
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The New York Liberty’s “Secret Ingredient”: A Culture of Resilience and Shared Purpose

In the high‑stakes world of the WNBA, where one mistake can cost a franchise an entire season, the New York Liberty have discovered a winning formula that goes beyond talent on paper. The team’s head coach, Nicki Gagnon, and a roster of veteran leaders say that their “secret ingredient” heading into the playoffs is a culture of resilience and shared purpose—an intangible quality that has turned a club that stumbled early into one of the league’s most formidable playoff contenders.

A Season of Transformation

When the Liberty began the 2024 campaign, they were mired in a 5‑8 slump that left fans and analysts questioning whether the team could finish the season strong. The turning point came in mid‑April when the franchise made a series of roster adjustments that re‑energised the locker room. They brought in guard‑forward Kelsey Plum, a high‑scoring veteran whose court vision and sharp shooting added a new dimension to the offense. Meanwhile, the addition of rookie center D’Angela Smith, who finished fourth in the league in blocks last season, gave the Liberty an inside presence that had been sorely missing.

Those changes, coupled with Gagnon’s coaching philosophy that stresses “communication on every possession and trust in every teammate,” have produced a dramatic swing. The Liberty went from a 5‑8 start to a 14‑4 run that carried them into the top six in the Western Conference standings, and ultimately secured a playoff berth as the fifth seed.

The Defensive Edge

While the offensive upgrades are evident, it is the defensive work that has become the team’s “secret sauce.” According to the league’s defensive metrics, the Liberty rank second in steals per game and seventh in defensive rating, a remarkable improvement from the previous season where they were ranked near the bottom of those charts. Gagnon credits this progress to an increased emphasis on transition defense and a “stop‑and‑shoot” mentality that forces opponents to run the ball into the paint.

“We’re not just preventing points; we’re creating opportunities for our offense,” Gagnon explains. “Our defense is the engine that powers our game plan.” This focus has yielded tangible results. In a pivotal game against the Chicago Sky on May 18, the Liberty held the Sky to 24% field‑goal shooting and forced 12 turnovers—turnovers that converted into fast‑break points and a 12‑point victory.

Leadership on and off the Court

The Liberty’s coaching staff has highlighted leadership as a core component of the team’s culture. Veteran guard- forward Jordin Canada, who was recently named the league’s Most Improved Player, exemplifies this. In a May interview, Canada remarked, “It’s about setting a tone, saying ‘we’ve got this’ and backing it up with work. When you trust each other, the game changes.”

The bench, too, has been a source of stability. Players like center LaToya Jackson and guard‑forward DeWanna Bonner have consistently stepped up when the starters needed rest. The league’s bench efficiency ranking places the Liberty third, a testament to the depth that Gagnon’s system has cultivated. This depth was on full display in the playoff series opener against the Seattle Storm, where Bonner scored 15 points in the third quarter to keep the game close until the final minutes.

Overcoming Adversity

The “secret ingredient” is not a stat line but a mindset forged through adversity. Earlier in the season, the Liberty’s starting center was sidelined by a hamstring injury, forcing the team to adjust their rotation. The interim starting guard, a younger player named Maya Thomas, led the team in assists that season. Gagnon notes that “when the team goes to the field and you have to adapt, that adaptation becomes part of who you are.”

This adaptability is evident in the team's performance in back‑to‑back games—a frequent fixture in the condensed WNBA schedule. In a stretch of four consecutive games between May 9 and May 12, the Liberty’s offense averaged 115 points while their defense held opponents to 110, a margin that would be considered insufficient in a different era of the league.

The Playoff Pitch

Entering the playoffs, the Liberty are positioned to challenge the top seeds, including the defending champions and the league’s number one team, the Los Angeles Sparks. The postseason demands a level of consistency and execution that the Liberty has begun to demonstrate. Their coaching staff emphasizes that the “secret ingredient” remains the same: a culture that encourages ownership, a belief in the process, and a relentless pursuit of improvement.

The first playoff series will test the team's resilience. Facing the Sparks, the Liberty will need to leverage their defensive strengths and the leadership of players like Kelsey Plum and D’Angela Smith. According to the league’s match‑ups page, the Sparks boast a 1.3 point advantage in both offensive and defensive efficiency. However, the Liberty’s ability to produce quick points from fast breaks and to stifle the Sparks’ interior presence could neutralize that advantage.

A Cultural Legacy

The Liberty’s “secret ingredient” is not a fleeting trend; it is a cultural legacy that the franchise hopes to embed for years to come. Gagnon and her staff plan to build on this foundation by recruiting players who not only possess skill but also demonstrate a willingness to adapt and to prioritize the team over personal accolades. As the playoffs loom, the city’s basketball enthusiasts can look forward to a team that not only plays with skill but plays with heart—an embodiment of the “secret ingredient” that has propelled the New York Liberty from a middling team to a championship‑ready squad.

(For more details on the Liberty’s regular‑season performance and playoff seedings, see the WNBA’s official standings and game‑by‑game recaps, both of which underscore the dramatic rise that the “secret ingredient” has inspired.)