A Championship Defense Gone Wrong1 of 3David L. Nemec /NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Liberty won the 2024 championship and then seemingly leveled up in 2025 by adding guard Natasha Cloud via trade. They were the favorites heading into the 2025 season and started the year on a nine-game winning streak. In the second half of the season, the Liberty experienced a skid that saw them fall from a top-two team to out of home-court-advantage range. This was in part caused by injuries to Breanna Stewart (knee), Sabrina Ionescu (toe) and Natasha Cloud (nose). While Stewart, Ionescu and Cloud were on the floor during the first round against the Phoenix Mercury, Brondello and Co. went down in three games.