The Liberty’s final preseason game, set for Sunday against the Connecticut Sun, isn’t focused on the outcome but serves a greater purpose.

This matchup acts as a vital checkpoint for the Liberty, offering coach Chris DeMarco the opportunity to test various lineup combinations and gauge the team’s grasp of the new offensive strategies. He aims to observe the chemistry, rhythm, and overall progress since their first preseason encounter.

With New York’s roster packed with talent, winning on skill alone is possible. However, DeMarco has stressed since the start of training camp two weeks ago that the team must adhere to a structured process without skipping any steps.

The integration of a new offensive flow and the refinement of defensive strategies is envisioned as a gradual development rather than a rapid overhaul.

DeMarco is intentionally introducing new concepts in stages, focusing on establishing a solid framework over spontaneous play.

He wants the Liberty to focus on establishing good habits right now rather than creating flashy highlights. 

“It’s important that we build this thing the right way,” DeMarco said Friday, “and everything we do is for October.” 

The Liberty’s first preseason game on April 25 was riddled with flaws. 

It was clear timing and positioning remained a work in progress. The team committed 22 turnovers. 

Upon reviewing the film, Sabrina Ionescu said the team executed the correct actions less than 30 percent of the time. 

The coaches weren’t mad or disappointed by the low execution. It’s to be expected considering the drastic changes the team has made from last season. 

“It’s just building from the last one we had,” Ionescu said. “The first one, it was four days into learning the new offense and was a little clunky and everybody was out of position… This is normal. Until everyone starts to learn where they have to go, it’s all a part of the learning process, and so I think this next game for us is first, getting that number above what it was last game, but continuing to build and chip away and little by little everything will feel really easy and not have to think about it.” 

Adding complexity to the situation is the fact that the Liberty are not yet at full strength. 

Marine Johannès and Pauline Astier joined the team in recent days, but the Liberty are still without Leonie Fiebich and Raquel Carrera, who are expected to remain with their Spanish club Valencia until the season ends later this month. 

Others, including Rebecca Allen, Satou Sabally and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, have been limited participants in practice, at times, as they ramp up for the season. 

Sunday’s game doesn’t need to be perfect, but the Liberty need to show that they’re making progress as Friday’s season opener draws near. 

Are they making the correct reads? Is the spacing more consistent? Are defensive switches happening instinctively rather than being delayed? Are they communicating well? Are they stringing together good possessions rather than executing in isolated instances? 

“It’s really about just getting our spacing down for when we drive, what are our relocations going to look like, are we going to reshape,” DeMarco said. “There’s so much for this team to learn just with the new staff for us to kind of figure out what works together so that we can grow together.” 

DeMarco plans to add more complexity to the team’s offense as the season progresses. But right now, the goal is to make the simple things second nature so when the time comes for the playbook to expand, players aren’t thinking so much and just executing. 

Ionescu said the coaching staff has done a good job at breaking things down to the granular level. They’re explaining the reasoning behind every action and movement, which Ionescu believes is helpful. 

“There’s times where your job is to do something that involves nothing with the ball, and as a player, if you understand, like, ‘I’m doing this because it’s creating a shot for my teammate,’ you better be doing it to the fullest of your ability because you have to for the team,” she said. “And so there’s a why to everything no matter what it is we’re doing… I feel like when as a player, when you know all of that, it’s almost like you kind of understand the importance of doing it and with the speed that you have to do it at.”

In a staggering display of opulence, a Bel Air mega-mansion priced at $400 million is on the market, boasting a remarkable 59 bathrooms, ensuring no guest will ever face a bathroom queue.

Dubbed the “crown jewel of Los Angeles” by its real estate agents, this extravagant property is linked to the Qatari royal family. Located at 11201 Chalon Road, the mansion went up for sale on Wednesday and, if sold at the asking price, will set a new record as the most expensive home in the United States, surpassing the $240 million New York City residence of billionaire Citadel founder Ken Griffin.

This sprawling estate includes both a main house and a guest house, offering an impressive total of 39 bedrooms alongside the extensive number of bathrooms.

The luxury doesn’t stop there; the property also features a salon, a traditional Middle Eastern steam bath known as a hammam, and even an X-ray machine, allowing the owner to conveniently host private doctor visits at home. Listing agent Michael Fahimian from the Beverly Hills Estates shared these details with The Wall Street Journal.

It also features a salon, hammam, a traditional Middle Eastern steam bath; and an X-ray machine, so the homeowner can host private doctor appointments without needing to go to the hospital, listing agent Michael Fahimian, of the Beverly Hills Estates, told The Wall Street Journal. 

The current homeowners, who have not been identified but have ties to the Al-Thani family, bought the 7.8 acres of land for $35 million in 2010 and it took 10 years to build the stunning estate at a cost more than $350 million. 

But with such a huge price tag, it begs the question whether anyone will be able to afford it. However co-agent Jack Harris told The Wall Street Journal: ‘There’s a handful of people who can afford something like this.’

Fahimian agreed and said: ‘This is truly a half-billion investment that the family has put into the estate. It’s not like we’re just getting some listing in Bel Air and saying: “Let’s put it on for $400 million to get press.”‘ 

An impressive Bel Air mansion, located at 11201 Chalon Road, hit the market this week for an eyewatering $400 million

The home has ties to the Qatari royal family and there is Middle Eastern influence throughout the compound

The sheer size of the sprawling estate that was built on 7.8 acres of land can be seen from this aerial shot

There is a resort-feel to the home. It offers a hammam, a traditional Middle Eastern steam bath

The home also features a movie theater for homeowners to enjoy so they never need to visit a cinema again

The estate, which was designed by architect Peter Marino, has 70,000sq ft of living space and three swimming pools and a tennis court on the grounds. 

In the main house, there are 10 family bedrooms and 13 staff ones and roughly 50,000sq ft of living space, according to the listing. 

It overlooks the Bel Air Country Club and has views of the canyons, city, and the ocean, giving it a prime spot for nature lovers who want extra privacy with a beautiful outlook. 

The 30,000sq ft guest house is just as exquisite with six family bedrooms, 10 staff, a chef’s kitchen, and a gym. It also has its own pool. 

Fahimian estimated the guest house alone would fetch $75 million if sold separately. 

The agents did not reveal the reason the family is selling the gorgeous home, but said the current homeowners have several properties in Los Angeles. 

The owner ‘has stayed here, but it’s not his primary residence,’ Harris told the outlet. 

Fahimian added that it ‘was designed so that you don’t ever have to leave if you don’t want to’ and ‘there was absolutely no expense spared.’ 

An at-home salon means the new buyer would never need to leave the comfort of their property for a manicure and pedicure

The land was purchased in 2010 and it took 10 years to complete the compound

The main house is 50,000sq ft with 10 family bedrooms and 13 staff rooms. The kitchen is full of natural light 

The property offers tons of privacy and plenty of places to enjoy nature and the outdoors 

An indoor pool at the property offers another space for owners and their guests to relax

It has a main house and a guest house, spanning 70,000sq ft of living space. It also has three swimming pools and a tennis court 

The guest house is 30,000sq ft and has six family bedrooms and 10 staff bedrooms

The property overlooks the Bel Air Country Club and offers gorgeous views

A tennis court with views of LA in the background means the new owners can keep fit and healthy on the court

Fancy a dip? There are plenty of areas to relax around the compound and entertain guests

Gold detailing with a Middle Eastern feel is pictured in this room in the property

A huge kitchen akin to that of a restaurant is pictured. Whoever buys the property will be able to put up their staff in staff bedrooms

Middle Eastern influence is depicted in the furnishings and fixtures of the property

An outdoor seating area is the perfect place to wind down on a warm evening with family and friends

If the eyewatering price is not already steep enough, it is estimated the new homeowner would also have to pay around $40 million on closing costs and $1.4 million a year in property taxes.

And California’s new proposal to tax billionaires could make the property even harder to sell. 

If passed, the law would impose a one-time five percent tax on a billionaire’s net worth. The tax money gained would help fund healthcare, education, and food programs. 

‘Widely regarded as one of the most expensive single-family residences ever built in the United States, no expense was spared in the design or construction of this global masterpiece,’ the listing added.  

Demonstrations continue at Washington, D.C.’s Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, where an activist remains perched high above the Beltway, protesting both the ongoing conflict involving Iran and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

The activist, Guido Reichstadter, aged 45, who has a background in jewelry-making and studies in math and physics, ascended the 168-foot structure on Friday night. Reichstadter has vowed to stay “until the war is ended,” as he shared with Fox News Digital.

This isn’t Reichstadter’s first time scaling the bridge. In 2022, he climbed the same landmark to express dissent against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. His current protest highlights his concerns over the Iran conflict and the rapid advancements in AI technology.

From his lofty position on the bridge, Reichstadter expressed grave concerns about AI, stating, “The situation with AI, from my perspective, which I think is shared by many experts, really couldn’t be more dire,” during a video interview with Fox News Digital.

Although his protest aligns with a series of “May Day” demonstrations that swept through D.C. the day before, Reichstadter clarified that he is not formally aligned with that particular movement.

“With these things, I kind of work as the spirit moves me,” he told Fox News Digital, getting slightly emotional. “From the very first day of the bombing of Iran, I knew I was going to do something.”

When asked what he would like to see happen with the Iran war, Reichstadter replied “I would like to see Congress grow a spine and do its job. To assert its constitutional authority over the declaration of war and they’re manifestly not doing that.”

Guido Reichstadter shows his view from atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. Reichstadter claims to be protesting the Iran war and AI. (Guido Reichstadter)

When asked if he would still be protesting if Congress did approve it through a War Powers Resolution Act, Reichstadter said, “it absolutely depends on the particulars.”

Reichstadter did concede that a nuclear Iran would be a threat to the world, though added that he didn’t believe the U.S. or any other country should have nuclear weapons either.

When asked if he saw a distinction between a country like Iran developing a nuclear weapon or a more stable country having one, Reichstadter said he didn’t really see a big difference between Iran having nuclear weapons and other countries.

A man climbed a 168-foot bridge in Washington, D.C., to protest and call for an end to the war in Iran. (WTTG)

“I haven’t seen anything that makes me believe that the Iranian regime is particularly different in terms of its willingness to destroy the world. This is not to excuse anything that the Iranian regime does. I’m not making excuses, or under any illusions that it is not an autocratic regime which has committed atrocities on its own people, but the path to a safe future does not involve nuclear weapons held by any state,” he said.

Iran has been a U.S. State Department-designated state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. In recent years it has financially backed Hezbollah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and other terrorist and militant groups in Iraq, Syria and Bahrain, according to the State Department.

The greater threat to Reichstadter, however, was neither a nuclear-armed Iran nor an ongoing war. His greatest fear was the endpoint of AI advancement.

Reichstadter climbed a 168-foot bridge in Washington, D.C., to protest and call for an end to the war in Iran. (WTTG)

“What happens when China or Russia or other nuclear states fear that the United States is on the cusp of developing a technology which will render their nuclear arsenals obsolete? They’ll be incentivized to stop it by any means necessary,” he argued.

“The goal of the frontier AI companies is not to build chatbots. It’s not to help you do your homework or make cute cat videos or something. The core mission of all of these companies is to create AI systems which vastly outperform human cognitive capabilities in every respect,” he said.

Reichstadter has previously been arrested on charges related to AI protests in California. He was twice for protesting OpenAI’s San Francisco campus, including an event where he locked the company’s doors shut, he told Fox News Digital. He was arrested again for violating a judge’s order not to return to the campus in 2025.

Reichstadter has previously been arrested on charges related to AI protests in California.  (WTTG)

The issue for him, he said, is an existential one.

“That’s why I quit my job, that’s why I quit my career, my comfortable lifestyle, to try to get something moving. Because I’ve got two kids,” he told Fox News Digital. “I’ve lived a full life. I’ve been married, I’ve been in love, I’ve had a career. I don’t know if they’re gonna have that. And that’s the most important thing in the world to me, is their future and the future of the whole human race,” he concluded.

Fox News Digital contacted D.C. MPD for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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