New York Liberty head into the off-season with questions about who will return in 2024
In the aftermath of the New York Liberty’s disappointing loss to the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals, much was made about the incredible 2023 season the Liberty had and how there is much to build on for the future. However, it’s not clear exactly what the team will look like in 2024. While Betnijah Laney, Courtney Vandersloot, and Sabrina Ionescu are definite, the team’s superstars—Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones—are question marks.
“It’s unfortunate because we were so close and I know we wanted it so bad, and I know that we were and are more than capable of winning a championship, so it adds fuel to the fire,” said Laney. “We can take this as a learning experience. We will be in this position again.”
Thirty-six hours after the final buzzer sounded, the Liberty players, Coach Sandy Brondello and general manager Jonathan Kolb met with the press for exit interviews. “This is something we’re looking to carry into the future,” said Kolb. “Stewie [Breanna Stewart] will 100% be cored (core players are locked into a team). She will not be an unrestricted free agent.”
With only one core player per team, Kolb cannot also core Jones, although he did say, “For us, [she’s] a player we definitely want to retain, and we’ll continue those talks into the off-season,” he said. Jones indicated she was leaning towards returning to the Liberty. “It’s been an amazing season. I love my teammates. Just have to go from there,” said Jones.
In terms of potential roster changes, Kolb and Brondello noted that the Liberty want to shore up the backcourt reserve players. Vandersloot said for the first time in her professional career, she doesn’t expect to play overseas in the off-season in order to rest her body. One potential guard who is available is Vandersloot’s wife, Allie Quigley, who sat out this season but made it clear she’s not retired.
“We all came here with one goal in mind and that’s still out there for us,” Vandersloot said. “Allie and I are constantly having those conversations.”
Ionescu is pumped for the future. “When you set lofty goals, sometimes not achieving them feels like failure, but this season wasn’t a failure,” she said. “What we’ve been able to accomplish here in such a short amount of time with this entire city backing us…is a success.”
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