Liberty get primed for playoffs while woeful Sky play out the string

As the New York Liberty get one final tune-up before the WNBA playoffs, there's still plenty of intrigue surrounding the conclusion of a disappointing season for the Chicago Sky -- and star Angel Reese.

Finally healthy, the visiting Liberty close the regular season looking for a third straight win Thursday night against the Sky.

New York (26-17) is locked into the No. 5 seed and will hit the road for the upcoming playoffs. However, with Breanna Stewart and most recently Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally healthy again, the Liberty are fully intact for the first time since the early weeks of the season. They closed out the home portion of their campaign with Tuesday's 75-66 victory over the Washington Mystics and have won four of six.

Ex-Sky center Emma Meesseman had 19 points off the bench, while stars Stewart scored 14 and Jonquel Jones added 12 with 11 boards for New York. The Liberty could rest some key players Thursday but have certainly built momentum and confidence to begin their title defense.

"This has been a tough season for us, the injuries and all that," said Jones, who posted her first double-double in four games Tuesday. "Everybody is able to play together now, build that chemistry.

The Sky (10-33) have won just three times in the last 23 games, but one came at New York, 91-85 on Aug. 21. Kamilla Cardoso recorded team highs with 22 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Reese added 21 points with 10 boards in that contest.

While Cardoso (13.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg) has been one of Chicago's most consistent performers in 2025, Reese's back issues and off-court drama, which recently included publicly challenging the franchise to get better players, certainly hasn't helped matters. It's also sparked speculation that Reese's future with the team is murky going forward.

Cardoso had 13 points with 13 rebounds while Reese missed a third consecutive game in Tuesday's 92-61 loss at the Las Vegas Aces.

Reese's status remains uncertain for Thursday's finale. The Sky suspended her for the first half of Sunday's road game, also at Las Vegas, due to "statements detrimental to the team," and she didn't play at all.

Jones had 25 points and Ionescu scored 16 in last month's loss to Chicago. Stewart missed that contest due to a right knee injury.

--Field Level Media