The New York Liberty begin their brief preseason slate at home against the rebuilding Connecticut Sun.
One week away before things start for real. The New York Liberty are back and are here putting the finishing touches on a productive training camp. The Connecticut Sun are in a full rebuild and are beginning to plan for a new era.
Where to follow the game
My9 has us covered locally. League Pass for everyone outside of NY. Tip after 7:00 p.m. ET.
Injuries
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is out. Breanna Stewart is out tonight, but should suit up on Monday. Leonie Fiebich is overseas and out as well.
Diamond DeShields, Leila Lacan, Aneesah Morrow, and Saniya Rivers are out. Amy Okonkwo is questionable.
The game
Preseason is all about exploration. You fine tune some things, start developing rhythm, and take extended looks at players who don’t usually get big minutes. For Sandy Brondello and the coaching staff, they’ll get a chance to see their offense in action against outside competition. New assistant coach Sonia Raman spoke to our own Lucas Kaplan and said:
“We’re starting with our running habits. Trying to get out and win those first three steps and see if we can beat teams up the floor. You know, try to be as organized as we can in that flow stage of the offense, you know, as we downshift a little bit and slow down. And then obviously, we progress to that half-court offense and trying to really be able to execute with teams.”
New York led the WNBA in offensive rating, and GM Jonathan Kolb stated he would like to see the team get even more shot attempts at the rim this season. The Liberty led the WNBA in field goal percentage inside the restricted area last season, and with the improvements they made in the offseason, should make a killing on the interior throughout the season.
With roster spots being so limited, players on the bubble will look to make the absolute most of their opportunity here. One such player is Esmery Martinez. The 2024 draft pick has impressed in training camp and a good showing in front of her hometown crowd.
For the Sun, they’re being led by a first time head coach in the WNBA. Rachid Meziane has a wealth of overseas experience, but will be leading a Sun team that’s trying to find their place in the new WNBA landscape. Meziane recently spoke about the work his team is doing in camp and acknowledged the reality the group is facing:
“All the players are very enthusiastic, and they are happy to be here. Everybody wants to make the team better and practice after practice. So, I’m happy about that, but I can see that we have a lot of work to do with this team because this team is still very young.”
Their top two draft picks, Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers are out, so they won’t get a chance to get some reps against the champs. Until told otherwise, the Sun will be counting on the veteran duo of Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey to guide the kids.
Player to watch: Leaonna Odom
Another Liberty draft pick will get a chance to put on a show and boost their odds of making the roster. Odom was drafted back in 2020 and played parts of two seasons with the Liberty. She’s been away from basketball for the past few years as Achilles injuries kept her out of action. She’s back and has impressed everyone in camp thus far. Sonia Raman spoke about Odom’s play with Jackie Powell of The Next:
“I think she’s giving herself grace to make mistakes and to learn from them, and to understand that it can’t be perfect. And if you do everything with the idea of, ‘I have to do this perfectly to make the team,’ it’s not always the best approach to actually succeeding if it’s all outcome based. So, I think her being very process based has been really helpful for her as she’s trying to take these steps forward.”
She should get plenty of minutes tonight, and Liberty fans will get to see her drive to the basket and wreak havoc on the defensive side of the ball.
From the Vault
The United States Women’s National Team has some new leadership. Basketball Hall of Famer Sue Bird will serve as the Managing Director for Team USA, the first for the US Women’s Team. Let’s take a trip back in time and watch Sue’s Olympics story
And on Saturday night, WWE Backlash will take place from St. Louis! The hometown hero Randy Orton will try to take down his long time rival and current champ, John Cena! These two have faced off many a time, so let’s take it back to their first Championship match against each other
More reading: CT Insider, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, No Cap Space, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, and The Next