FIRED UP

It’s too early in the season for predictions, but this may be the year the New York Liberty go all the way. One of the eight original WNBA teams that started play in 1997, they have made the playoffs almost every season, but have yet to win a championship. (Last year, they lost to the Atlanta Dream in the Eastern Conference Finals.) New coach and general manager John Whisenant has the third best winning percentage in WNBA history, so he may be just what the ladies need. Sunday, when the Liberty take on the Los Angeles Sparks, watch for the Liberty’s guard, Leilani Mitchell, winner of the 2010 Most Improved Player Award, and forward guard, Essence Carson, who recently scored 21 points against the Dream. (Note: With a major renovation project at the Garden underway, the Liberty have moved to the Prudential Center in Newark.)

Sun., June 26, 4 p.m., 2011