New York Liberty 2022 Season Preview

Photo via New York Liberty Twitter

Media had circled around the Liberty this offseason. From Breanna Stewart and Stefanie Dolson getting flown out and getting free-agent meetings, to them being fined $500,000 for taking chartered flights last season. They were threatened with possible suspension of owners, “losing every draft pick you’ve ever seen,” and termination of the franchise. According to Sports Illustrated

That is ridiculous, but I’ve already ranted about that before, so I won’t get into it here. 

The moral of the story, Joe Tsai has shown he’s willing to make his players feel wanted and do what it takes to get a championship-worthy team. The Liberty have talent, that’s undeniable, but they lack a few things. Size, experience, and depth. 

They seemed to have answered the size and experience issue by signing Dolson, who had just won a championship with the Sky. They also still have Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb, who have a championship with the Storm. They took three frontcourt players in the WNBA draft this year. Nyara Sabally at five, Lorela Cubaj at 18, and Sika Kone at 29. Sabally will not play this season to focus on getting healthy. Cubaj has the size and defensive capabilities to help with depth. Kone is more of a pick based on her potential. 

The Liberty desperately needs both Betnijah Laney and Sabrina Ionescu to be great. Laney was terrific and made her first All-Star appearance last season, but they need another leap. They need her to be an MVP caliber player if they want to compete for a championship this year. Ionescu played her first full season, basically her rookie year, considering she only played two her first year. She struggled after a few great games early. Some of that is due to how much defenses focused on her due to the media hype, and some is just her being not fully confident and tentative. Hopefully, a full offseason and a new coach can open up the full ability we saw at Oregon and in spurts last season. 

Asia Durr returns to basketball and the Liberty after an 18-month battle with Covid-19. She is finally able to get back on the court, and we’re all very happy she’s healthy and proud of her for fighting through all she had to do to play the sport she loves. 

While we’re not exactly sure what the Liberty starting lineup will look like, I believe their bench can be one of the best in the league. Between Michaela Onyenwere, Becca Allen, and Sami Whitcomb, any of them could start at the three. This means two come off the bench with a second-year defensive stopper DiDi Richards. The rest we aren’t completely sure about just yet but they have some talent they can use in the frontcourt. However, the lack of a veteran point guard off the bench could come back to hurt them again this season. 

What is the ceiling for this New York Liberty team? I think if Laney, Ionescu, Howard, and Dolson can mesh well together, they can be a top-five team in the league. Health is always a factor, as Ionescu dealt with a bad ankle for most of last season, and Howard missed a good chunk of the season with a knee issue. Stars will be out in New York again. Can the Liberty make it all worth it?

Photo via New York Liberty Twitter

Media had circled around the Liberty this offseason. From Breanna Stewart and Stefanie Dolson getting flown out and getting free-agent meetings, to them being fined $500,000 for taking chartered flights last season. They were threatened with possible suspension of owners, “losing every draft pick you’ve ever seen,” and termination of the franchise. According to Sports Illustrated

That is ridiculous, but I’ve already ranted about that before, so I won’t get into it here. 

The moral of the story, Joe Tsai has shown he’s willing to make his players feel wanted and do what it takes to get a championship-worthy team. The Liberty have talent, that’s undeniable, but they lack a few things. Size, experience, and depth. 

They seemed to have answered the size and experience issue by signing Dolson, who had just won a championship with the Sky. They also still have Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb, who have a championship with the Storm. They took three frontcourt players in the WNBA draft this year. Nyara Sabally at five, Lorela Cubaj at 18, and Sika Kone at 29. Sabally will not play this season to focus on getting healthy. Cubaj has the size and defensive capabilities to help with depth. Kone is more of a pick based on her potential. 

The Liberty desperately needs both Betnijah Laney and Sabrina Ionescu to be great. Laney was terrific and made her first All-Star appearance last season, but they need another leap. They need her to be an MVP caliber player if they want to compete for a championship this year. Ionescu played her first full season, basically her rookie year, considering she only played two her first year. She struggled after a few great games early. Some of that is due to how much defenses focused on her due to the media hype, and some is just her being not fully confident and tentative. Hopefully, a full offseason and a new coach can open up the full ability we saw at Oregon and in spurts last season. 

Asia Durr returns to basketball and the Liberty after an 18-month battle with Covid-19. She is finally able to get back on the court, and we’re all very happy she’s healthy and proud of her for fighting through all she had to do to play the sport she loves. 

While we’re not exactly sure what the Liberty starting lineup will look like, I believe their bench can be one of the best in the league. Between Michaela Onyenwere, Becca Allen, and Sami Whitcomb, any of them could start at the three. This means two come off the bench with a second-year defensive stopper DiDi Richards. The rest we aren’t completely sure about just yet but they have some talent they can use in the frontcourt. However, the lack of a veteran point guard off the bench could come back to hurt them again this season. 

What is the ceiling for this New York Liberty team? I think if Laney, Ionescu, Howard, and Dolson can mesh well together, they can be a top-five team in the league. Health is always a factor, as Ionescu dealt with a bad ankle for most of last season, and Howard missed a good chunk of the season with a knee issue. Stars will be out in New York again. Can the Liberty make it all worth it?