Liberty vs Valkyries Preview, Prediction, Injuries, Lineups, Odds & Where to Watch – WNBA 2025 Regular Season (May 29)

The 2024 Champions, the New York Liberty, have maintained their superiority since the start of the 2025 regular season. Despite surprising opponents on the other end, the Liberty squad has not flinched a bit from their performance. During their last game on May 27, they faced the Golden State Valkyries on their home turf. However, the Valkyries still have a chance to redeem themselves in another showdown that is lined up at the same venue on May 29. Moreover, the Valkyries are poised to play against the Liberty as well.

The Valkyries have challenged the expectations so far in the league by winning two showdowns out of four. However, the New York Liberty have not compromised their position as champions and have won all four games they have played in the 2025 regular season. Will the table toppers clinch another victory against the Valkyries, or will the latter strike back? Let's find out in the preview.

Liberty vs Valkyries Match Preview

The May 27 clash between the New York Liberty and the Golden State Valkyries was a reality check for the latter team. Valkyries got a great start after an early stumble from the Los Angeles Sparks. They first boosted their morale with a win against the Washington Mystics. Later on, the Valkyries did not commit the same mistake and won the next fixture against the Sparks.

They just replaced injured Tiffany Hayes with Janelle Salaun, and it did wonders for them. It seemed like the Sparks were surprised by the game that forward Janelle showed on May 23. On the other hand, the New York Liberty's squad has proved consistently why they won the 2024 WNBA Championship ring last season. Their offense is crisp and holding the team together. Therefore, when the second string gets on the floor, they only have to play the natural game and add to the charts.

In the previous game, the Liberty won by a whopping 28 points, putting up 95-67 on the scoreboard. Therefore, the Valkyries might go for a redemption arc, but the New York roster still holds the edge so far for the upcoming game on May 29. Here are the details about the matchup and where it is about to take place.

Liberty vs Valkyries Injury Report

The Liberty vs Valkyries matchup on a Thursday night is a much-anticipated game due to the game that the Valkyries are playing. They are putting on a fight even without their key players. If the major names who missed out on the last matchup due to health emergencies can make it to the next game, it will be a different situation for the Valkyries then. That's why the GSV is an underdog team here. Meanwhile, the New York Liberty are just missing a bench center who might make her return in the May 29 game. So let's go through the injury report for both teams.

Liberty Injury Report

• Nyara Sabally (Out): Nyara Sabally missed her second consecutive game due to a right knee injury. Her absence was felt in the frontcourt rotation, but the Liberty's depth allowed them to maintain a clutch game in the paint. She is expected to make her return by May 29, as per ESPN.

Valkyries Injury Report

• Tiffany Hayes (Questionable): Tiffany Hayes was listed as questionable with a nose injury. Her veteran presence and scoring ability were missed when the Valkyries struggled offensively. She is also likely to play in the May 29 matchup.

• Monique Billings (Questionable): Monique Billings was also questionable due to a right foot injury. Around the rim, the Valkyries were short of her rebounding prowess. But the team will arrive with a full-fledged force if she makes a return on Thursday night against the Liberty.

• Cecilia Zandalasini (Out): Nathan Canilao of the Bay Area News Group reported that Zandalasini has been ruled out for Tuesday's game due to a foot injury. However, she might come back on the court in the showdown against the Liberty.

Predicted Lineups

After considering the injury report and estimated return of these players for both teams, it seems there will be no absence of players. However, the last-second decisions are unreliable, and therefore, we have prepared a list of five for both teams. It is also inspired by the previous game lineup since both teams are expected to go all out in the upcoming game.

Liberty Predicted Lineup

The Liberty's starting five is not random due to their consistent performance. The backcourt duo of Ionescu and Cloud is directing the offense, while Stewart and Jones will direct the defense of the team.

Valkyries Predicted Lineup

The Golden State Valkyries lineup is expected to start the match with the following lineup in the upcoming match on May 29:

*Note: Monique Billings was listed as questionable due to injury.

Liberty vs Valkyries Players To Watch

Considering the last point spree that the New York Liberty showed on May 27 against the Golden State Valkyries, the players to watch are already listed. However, the ones that both teams have to be most careful about are Breanna Stewart and Veronica Burton. Veronica might not have grabbed the highest rebounds or scored an insane number of points. Yet she not only did both but also made steals in the last game. So it is evident that she tried her best to clinch the game away from Liberty. The rest of the information will be discussed under the following heads.

Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries)

The 24-year-old guard Veronica Burton was the brightest ray of hope amid her team's struggle against the reigning champions. She dished out 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals against the New York team in the previous game. Due to less playing time on other teams, Veronica is having a breakout season with the Valkyries this year.

A guard who only averaged 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds with the Connecticut Sun last year has completely changed. She has been averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season in four games. Moreover, her playing time has increased from 12.7 minutes to 27.5 minutes on average.

Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty)

Breanna Stewart is an elite scorer, and she proves it from time to time. Like in the last game, she led all the scorers with her 25-point tally along with 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 3 steals. She is a freak when it comes to multiple playing positions. Even as a forward, her stats from the last game look like she is an elite guard for a squad.

In the 2024 WNBA season, when the New York Liberty won the WNBA trophy, she tallied 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Moreover, she also recorded 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game previous season. It was one of the best performances of her career after 2023 season.

Where to Watch Liberty vs Valkyries

Fans in the U.S. can watch the Liberty vs Valkyries game live on WNBA League Pass, and it gets free once the game is concluded. However, local broadcasts are also available on WWOR-My9, KPIX 5, and KMAX 31. Streaming services like FuboTV also offered live coverage, often with free trial options for new subscribers.

Coming to other streaming services, the fans can go to Liberty Live (Livestream), which offers live broadcasting of the game for free. It is a great initiative for the fans who witnessed their team win the 2024 WNAB Finals. If you belong to any other region, you can also use the VPN services, but make sure that it is not illegal as per the concerned laws in your nation.

Note: These sites may not be legal or safe. Streaming quality and reliability can vary. Moreover, accessing them may violate local laws or service terms. Use at your own risk.

Liberty vs Valkyries Prediction: Who Will Win?

With about 88% of winning probability, the New York Liberty are heavy favorites to win the upcoming matchup against the Golden State Valkyries. However, it is worth noting that notable players for the Valkyries, like Monique Billings and Tiffany Hayes, were absent from the last game. If they return, there are chances of a lesser point margin defeat or even an upset. Still, it is just optimism at this point when it comes to numbers, since Liberty has an edge everywhere.

They have won 4 games straight, topping the Western Conference rankings with a 100% winning percentage. Meanwhile, the Valkyries are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a winning percentage of 50%. It is worth noting that the May 29 game will also be played in Barclays Center, the home turf of the Liberty. New York ended 32-8 overall with a 16-4 record at home during the 2024-25 season. Therefore, it's quite rare for them to lose a matchup at home.

Coming to the basketball stats, the Liberty dished out 85.6 points per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. Moreover, the team shot 34.9% from 3-point distance during the 2024 season. So the whole roster seems strong. But the Valkyries are full of surprises, and who knows, we might be in for another one.

Prediction:

New York Liberty 90, Golden State Valkyries 73

Liberty wins by 17 points.

Liberty vs Valkyries Betting Odds

The betting lines for the Liberty vs Valkyries reflect the difference in experience and performance between the reigning champions and the expansion team.

Point Spread: Liberty favoured by 17.5 points

Moneyline: Liberty: -165, Valkyries: +95

Over/Under Total Points: 162.5 (-110 over / -110 under)

These odds indicated a big win for the Liberty in a high-scoring match. Fans have trusted the offense of the reigning champions against the Valkyries' underdog status this year as an expansion team.