New York Liberty preseason schedule 2025: Games, dates and more

After coming up short in 2023, the New York Liberty were able to win their first championship in franchise history last season. As they prepare their title defense, the team announced the first piece of their 2025 schedule.

Before the action officially gets underway, the Liberty are going to have two preseason games. The first will be on their home floor, followed by a friendly exhibition with an overseas team.

The New York Liberty will begin their preseason schedule in roughly two months on May 9th. They'll take their home floor against a Connecticut Sun team that has made numerous changes in the offseason.

A few days later, the Liberty will hit the road to play their second and final preseason game on May 12th. They'll square off against the Toyota Antelopes, a professional team from Japan. This game will take place in Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena. It will be a homecoming for Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabllay, as that's where they played in college before reaching the WNBA.

After retaining most of their core this offseason, the Liberty will be poised to try and repeat as champions. Led by stars such as Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, they'll have all the talent they'll need to stay in the title picture in 2025.

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Sabrina Ionescu reacts to New York Liberty having preseason matchup in Oregon

As expected, Sabrina Ionescu is elated at the opportunity to return to her old stomping grounds in the preseason. When asked about her impending return to Matthew Knight Arena, the All-Star guard stated she has a lot planned to add to the festivities.

"I can't wait to get back on the court in Eugene with the New York Liberty at Matthew Knight Arena," Ionescu said in a statement. "I've got some great things in store throughout the weekend for my teammates: past and present, Oregon Women's Basketball fans, the Eugene community, and the SI20 Foundation. Sco Ducks Forever!"

Ionescu wasn't able to deliver Oregon a national championship but is still among the top players in the program's history. Among her numerous feats there was leading the nation in scoring (19.7 points per game) and assists per game (7.8) as a sophomore. Some of Ionescu's other accolades from Oregon include being a one-time Player of the Year and two-time Wooden Award winner.

Across 142 games in four seasons at Oregon, Ionescu averaged 18.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 7.7 apg. Following this impressive run in college, she went on to be the No. 1 overall pick by the New York Liberty in 2020.

Now cemented as one of the top guards in the WNBA today, Ionescu has a chance to showcase her talents in a place that helped launch her career.