Without a doubt, no WNBA franchise improved its roster more this offseason than the New York Liberty. With the arrival of superstars Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Courtney Vandersloot, the seafoam squad has quickly climbed into the contender conversation.
But how did we get here? What will this collection of talent bring to the table? In this space, we will attempt to answer those questions and give you a look ahead to what could be the greatest season in franchise history.
BUILDING THE BRAND
In 2020, the Liberty had the good fortune of earning the first overall pick in the draft. In dire need of a star to help turn the team around, they selected Oregon Ducks superstar guard Sabrina Ionescu.
The pick was a no-brainer. During her time in Eugene, Ionescu recorded one of the greatest collegiate careers in history. She won the Wooden Award twice, took home three Pac-12 Player of the Year awards, shattered the NCAA triple-double mark, and became the first player (male or female) in college history to reach 2,000 career points (2,562), 1,000 career rebounds (1,040), and 1,000 career assists (1,091).
Ionescu’s time with the team did not start as planned. An ankle injury in the WNBA bubble ended her anticipated rookie campaign after just three games. As a result, New York finished with the worst record in the league at 2-20.
Entering the 2021 season, the Liberty focused on improving their roster as Ionescu spent time rehabbing from her injury. They accomplished this by adding veteran players such as Betnijah Laney and Sami Whitcomb. That season, the team won 12 games and advanced to the first round of the playoffs where they fell in a thrilling game to the eventual runner-up, the Phoenix Mercury.
Despite the team’s improvement, the organization opted to make a change at head coach following the season, replacing Walt Hopkins with Sandy Brondello. The latter coached Phoenix for eight seasons from 2014-2021, winning one championship.
Following a rough start to the 2022 season, the Libs turned things around, winning 16 games—the most since 2017. In addition, they made the playoffs for the second consecutive season, even though they fell to the defending champion Chicago Sky in the best-of-three first round that went the distance.
The highlight of last season was Ionescu’s breakout as one of the WNBA’s best. Playing in all 36 games, she averaged 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game, earning herself All-WNBA Second Team honors and was named an All-Star for the first time.
ALL TOGETHER NOW
As the team has improved over the last few years, so have the prospects of acquiring top talent looking for a stable and enticing destination. With a good core of talent in place, owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai, general manager Jonathan Kolb and, Coach Brondello set out to build a superteam this offseason.
Phase one of this plan came to fruition in mid-January, as the Liberty, Connecticut Sun, and Dallas Wings engineered a blockbuster three-team trade that brought Jones to New York from Connecticut. To acquire the 2021 WNBA MVP, the team sent Natasha Howard and Crystal Dangerfield to the Wings, while moving Rebecca Allen and the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft to the Sun. The Liberty also received Kayla Thornton from Dallas in the deal.
The addition of Jones alone would have put the Liberty into the championship conversation, but New York was not done yet. On February 1, Stewart announced she had signed with the Liberty after a seven-year stint with the Seattle Storm. During her time in the Emerald City, Stewart won two championships, two Finals MVP awards, a league MVP award, alongside many other accolades.
The following day, Vandersloot signed on, completing a trifecta of splash moves. Before joining New York, Vandersloot spent 12 seasons with the Chicago Sky. During her time there, she was named an All-Star four times, led the league in assists six times, and won a title in 2021.
THE ROAD AHEAD
According to Odds Shark, New York has the second-best odds to win the WNBA title, trailing the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, the WNBA’s other current superteam.
With Vandersloot running the point, the Libs have a consistent blend of scoring and elite passing every single game. This allows Ionescu to slide over to the shooting guard position, where she can take more shots and display her all-around game. This formula worked beautifully last season when Dangerfield took over point guard duties and Ionescu played off the ball. Her efficiency and consistency immediately soared.
Laney will hold down the wing spot. She is great at attacking the basket, passing, and shooting. These skills will be invaluable to the pace and space offense Brondello likes to run. Stewart is the most versatile forward in the game. Her ability to hit midrange and three-point jumpers at 6’4″ is virtually unstoppable. Last but certainly not least, Jones is the epitome of a modern big. She is strong enough to post up and score inside, and versatile enough to step out and be a perimeter threat.
The New York Liberty have assembled one of the greatest rosters in WNBA history, and they haven’t even played a game yet. If things go according to plan, the seafoam squad just might be hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.