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It’s not an exaggeration to call the New York Liberty the unluckiest team In the WNBA thanks to their heart-breaking playoffs record but just how many times have they managed to go beyond the semi-finals stage?
The Liberty currently lead their series against the Las Vegas Aces 2-1 and they need one more win to qualify for the WNBA Finals, although they’re on the backfoot after suffering defeat at the Michelob ULTRA Arena on October 4.
If the Eastern Conference leaders can make it to the Finals then they will have their latest chance to finally claim the first rings in franchise history and quash the demons of an abysmal record in the Finals.
On five occasions (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2023) have the Liberty made it to the final series of the season and on five occasions they’ve turned up empty handed and walked off the court with their dreams shattered.
The last time it happened was against the Aces in 2023 as they lost 3-1 to the Western Conference side, losing the final game by a soul-crushing margin of just one point in a 70-69 loss at the Barclays Center.
Overall, the Liberty have made the WNBA Semi-Finals on 10 occasions, meaning they have a 50% success rate for making the Finals. That’s despite a barren run between 2009-2022 where they only made it beyond the First Round on six occasions and failed to qualify for the postseason on six occasions too.
When do the New York Liberty play next?
The Liberty need to win just one more game against the Las Vegas Aces to ensure they head to the WNBA Finals for the sixth time and they will earn their next chance to do so on Sunday, September 6.
The game at the Michelob ULTRA Arena will take place at 15:00 ET/12:00 PT. If the Aces win and tie the series, the decider will take place on Tuesday, October 8.
