Liberty already prepping for likely first playoff opponent

The Liberty are looking ahead, but all eyes aren’t necessarily on their final two regular-season games.

They’re locked in at the No. 5 seed for the playoffs, and while the Liberty face the Mystics on Tuesday and the Sky on Thursday prior to the postseason, they cannot help but lend time and focus to their first-round opponent.

During the portion of practice open to the media Monday, the Liberty were working through matchups and schemes in the event they play the Mercury — their most likely first-round matchup — in less than a week.

“Obviously, we just played Phoenix. We just played Atlanta,” coach Sandy Brondello said. “I imagine they’re the two main teams. So, we are just preparing as much as we can now. So, using these days to get on the practice court to simulate what it could look like in the playoffs.”

After their loss to Connecticut on Saturday, Phoenix is a near lock for the No. 4 slot.

Still, the Liberty are prepping for the other possibilities — the Aces and Dream — as they have the same record (28-14) but the Aces hold the tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed.

The Mercury trail both teams by a single game, but a shake-up is unlikely as either the Aces or Dream would have to drop their remaining two games against non-playoff teams.

“We’re making sure our schemes are strong. We have a few sets that we know each team plays and making sure that we’re well versed on what we’re going to do with them and what our coverage is going to be,” Breanna Stewart said after practice.

The Mercury hold a 3-1 record against the Liberty this season.

Yet, in three of those games, not every player in the Liberty’s typical lineup was available.

Most recently, Sabrina Ionescu was out due to a toe injury.

Another came without Jonquel Jones because of an ankle injury, and two matchups didn’t involve Leonie Fiebich as she was competing in the EuroBasket for most of June.

The Liberty had their starters healthy for their single win, 89-76 over the Mercury on July 25.

“I think we know we can beat anybody and I don’t think it matters who we play,” Ionescu said. “It’s more knowing we just got to be better and focus on ourselves and the things we need to improve on.”

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Ionescu (toe) and Nyara Sabally (knee) are available for Tuesday night’s game against the Mystics at Barclays Center.

It’s the first time the Liberty will be at full strength since the second game of the season May 22.

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During Friday’s victory against the Storm, the Liberty got both Kennedy Burke and Fiebich more involved in the offense.

Burke added 13 points while Fiebich tacked on 21.

For Fiebich, it was her first double-digit game since Aug. 19, when she scored 10 points against the Lynx.

Brondello has urged the 6-foot-4 forward to be more aggressive and be selfish because in the games when she has scored in the double digits, the Liberty have gone 12-1.

Fiebich can be a real difference-maker in the postseason if that output stays consistent, just as it did a year ago.

“We have to put her in the action. Sometimes, she just stands in the corner too much …” Brondello said. “We just have to remind her [to be unselfish]. We just have to remind her, especially we had all these players out. You’ve got to be aggressive because we are down.”