Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Liberty Star's 4-Word Message to WNBA Star Following a Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Reign Amurao | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Atlanta Dream had their revenge against the New York Liberty on Sunday. In their first meeting in the 2025 WNBA season, the Dream suffered an 86-81 loss against the defending champions. All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu had one of the best games of the season with her 34 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals on 50% shooting from deep.

In their second matchup, however, Ionescu struggled to be productive on the floor and finished with 14 points on 33.3% shooting. The Dream took advantage of the All-Star guard's struggles and had a 90-81 win over the Liberty. It was a total team effort, led by Brionna Jones, who had 21 points.

Unfortunately for the Dream, they suffered an injury to All-Star guard Rhyne Howard.

Howard was on the floor for only 23 minutes after she sustained an upper-body injury. She left the game in the third quarter and never returned to action. Later, she showed up on the bench wearing a sling on her left arm.

Following the contest, Liberty guard Natasha Cloud approached the Dream star to comfort her. The two shared a wholesome moment despite the New York team losing.

On X, Howard gave a shoutout to Cloud, asking fans to show the 2019 champion, when Cloud was still part of the Washington Mystics, some love.

"Y’all send some love to Cloud 9 for me please " Howard posted.

The point guard returned the favor with an encouraging four-word message.

"Feel better my dawg" Cloud responded.

Feel better my dawg https://t.co/x2MxEqouxn
— Natasha Cloud (@T_Cloud4) June 30, 2025

The Dream have not given an update on what Howard sustained. However, losing her at this point in the season is crucial. Atlanta has an 11-6 record and is the second-best team behind the Liberty.

One of the main reasons for the team's success is Howard's play this year. She's appeared in 16 games, averaging 17.5 points , 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Atlanta's next contest will be on Thursday against the Seattle Storm. Thus, the team will have enough time to address Howard's injury.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: