It’s bad enough for the Liberty that the Detroit Shock handed them their first and last losses of last season. It’s even worse because Detroit’s Bill Laimbeer has proven to be just as acerbic with his mouth as a coach as he was chippy with his body as a player.

For example, when asked if he considered The Liberty a rival after losing Game 1 of last season’s Eastern Conference playoff series, Laimbeer said, “You have to get to that championship level with two teams, not just one team, in order to make a rivalry.”

Ouch!

Detroit won the series by taking the next two games, including a 71-70 OT win in the deciding third game. Of course, Laimbeer, one of the Pistons’ Bad Boys, already had irked the Liberty after a 67-57 win in June that snapped a 5-0 start.

When asked if the Liberty was an elite team, Laimbeer said, “The jury’s still out.”

The jury gets to see more evidence today when the Liberty (1-1) takes to the road for the first time this season to play the Shock (2-1).

“I think we match up well with Detroit,” said Liberty coach Patty Coyle. “We’ve beaten them there. They’re the best team in the East. Well, everyone’s pick them to win it. Let’s go see what we can do against them.”

Perhaps the Liberty can silence Laimbeer.

lenn.robbins@nypost.com