Finding consistency has not been easy for the New York Liberty this year, but Breanna Stewart believes in the team's slow adjustments. The star forward recently shed some light on what is going on behind closed doors after a mixed start to the 2026 WNBA season.

Stewart spoke about these adjustments during a pre-game interview with Sue Bird on May 24, 2026. The conversation happened just before the Liberty took the floor for a home matchup against the Dallas Wings. In a clip shared on X by @WNBAonNBC, Stewart opened up about the challenges surrounding the roster changes. 

She addressed, "For us this year, new coach, a little bit of a new team," Stewart said. "Lots of returners with a little bit of a new team. Lots of injuries, so it’s really difficult to build chemistry. How are we guys to do that on the fly?" 

Instead of focusing on the frustration, she framed the situation with a positive mindset. "With all the newness, there’s like a sense of freshness, and we’re starting over essentially," she added. "I’d rather go through all these hurdles, barriers now, so you can be ready for the long run."

Hours later, the Liberty lost to Dallas in a 76-91 loss, making their early regular-season record 3-3. The team entered the 2026 season dealing with major structural changes. New head coach Chris DeMarco took the job. On top of a new coaching staff, New York added many younger players to the roster. 

New York has already shown flashes of dominance this year, like their 106-75 blowout win over the Connecticut Sun and a 100-82 victory against the Portland Fire. However, close losses to Portland and Golden State Valkyries prove that the team is still lacking consistency. 

Stewart has performed well on both ends of the floor. Part of that performance and confidence comes from something she says she missed last year. 

Stewart Explains How Health Has Changed Her Game

Last season, she missed 13 games due to nagging issues and spent significant time playing through pain. "When you’re not healthy, and at the moment, you don’t really realize what you’re missing until you get back completely healthy," Stewart explained. 

Early in the year, Stewart averaged 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Even in the recent loss to Dallas, she fought to provide 14 points and 11 rebounds for her team.

Now that she has entered her 30s, her approach to health has changed completely. She admits that she can no longer just ignore small aches or try to run through a wall as she did earlier in her career. 

The Liberty is currently a work in progress, balancing individual health with team-wide adjustments. If Stewart stays healthy and the younger players adapt to DeMarco's system, the rest of the teams will have a major problem on their hands.

Do you think they will figure out their chemistry in time for the playoffs?

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy