Liberty get one last chance to work out kinks in preseason as Chris DeMarcos vision takes shape

The Liberty’s last tuneup before the season starts later this week isn’t about the final score. Instead, Sunday’s preseason finale against the Connecticut Sun is a checkpoint for the Liberty.It’s a chance for Chris DeMarco to experiment with lineup combinations and measure how well the team has adopted the basics of the new offensive system.

He’ll be looking for chemistry, rhythm and improvements from the team’s first preseason game.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.New York’s star-studded roster is good enough to win some games on talent alone.

But DeMarco has been adamant since training camp opened two weeks ago that the team can’t skip steps. The team installing a new offensive flow and tightening its defensive principles should be a slow build, not a sprint. DeMarco is taking a deliberate and layered approach to introducing new concepts and making changes.He’s prioritizing structure rather than freestyle.

He wants the Liberty to focus on establishing good habits right now rather than creating flashy highlights. “It’s important that we build this thing the right way,” DeMarco said Friday, “and everything we do is for October.” The Liberty’s first preseason game on April 25 was riddled with flaws. It was clear timing and positioning remained a work in progress.The team committed 22 turnovers. Upon reviewing the film, Sabrina Ionescu said the team executed the correct actions less than 30 percent of the time. The coaches weren’t mad or disappointed by the low execution.

It’s to be expected considering the drastic changes the team has made from last season.  Sign up for Madeline Kenney's Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter.Please provide a valid email.

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