The playoffs have not started. The Liberty already look ready.

The WNBA playoffs do not begin until September 27. The Liberty's 106–69 victory in Toronto on Sunday was still the kind of late-September performance that makes the postseason feel close.

Breanna Stewart scored 27 points in 22 minutes, adding eight rebounds and four assists. She made 10 of 14 shots and all seven of her free throws, taking control without having to carry a full game's workload.

Stewart needed only 22 minutes

New York led by eight at halftime and broke the game open after the interval. Stewart repeatedly reached the paint during a 14–6 run to begin the third quarter. The final margin reached 37, matching the Liberty's largest lead of the afternoon.

Rebecca Allen added 14 points and Jonquel Jones scored 11. New York outrebounded Toronto 36–26 and improved to 26–16 with its third consecutive win. Laura Juskaite scored a career-high 28 for the expansion Tempo, whose first home season ended before a capacity crowd.

The opponent and the calendar both matter. Toronto is 11–31 and out of playoff contention, so one decisive afternoon does not prove that New York has solved every postseason question. It does show that the Liberty returned from the World Cup break with urgency: they beat league-leading Minnesota on Friday, then handled the game they were expected to win on Sunday.

Atlanta is the final examination

New York finishes the regular season with two games against Atlanta, beginning Monday at Barclays Center and concluding Wednesday. The playoffs begin Sunday. The Liberty have already clinched a berth; the remaining work is about sharpening their rotation and carrying this three-game surge into the games that actually end seasons.