On the Beat With the New York Liberty 09/25/2021

The New York Liberty held an "Exit Interview" media session yesterday. Writers were treated to an almost full team of Coach Walt Hopkins, Sami Whitcomb, Michaela Onyenwere, DiDi Richards, Sabrina Ionescu, Kylee Shook, Leaonna Odom, Reshanda Gray, Rebecca Allen, Betnijah Laney and Natasha Howard.

The bulk of the conversation focused on this season and next season, But there were a couple other topics thrown into the mix. For the most part, the team looked loose and relaxed and proud of their accomplishments this season.

Losing the single game elimination playoff to the Phoenix Mercury by one point could not have been easy to accept, but the team went out gracefully. The Liberty have no reason to be anything but proud. This team won two games in last season's abbreviated schedule. It was almost a certainty they would improve on that 2-20 record this season. They lost the same amount, but managed to win 10 more games to finish 12-20 and squeak into the playoffs as the eighth seed. A 12-20 season wouldn't ordinarily be a source of pride, but the big improvement, coupled with a playoff appearance is reason enough for the Liberty and their fans to have lots of hope for next season.

I thank the Liberty organization for access and hospitality all season. I appreciate the time of the coaches and players. We congratulate the organization on a major improvement and I look forward to being back "On the Beat" with the Liberty next season.

That media session can be found at On the Beat With the New York Liberty 09/25/2021. Go to WNBA.com for more info on the Liberty and the league. Check back here for my recurring coverage.

On the Beat With the New York Liberty 05/01/2021

The New York Liberty held a post-practice media session featuring Sabrina Ionescu and Janelle Bailey. Practice ran a little long and the players were a bit pressed for time, but there was still some interesting subjects discussed.

Second year guard Ionescu started by talking about the importance of family. Her family is a great source of support and she relies on them and appreciates them greatly. She then went on to talk about her mindset through and after the injury. Unplanned and unwanted time away from the court gave her a renewed and greater appreciation for all she has and where she is. She also talked about the difference in camp this year versus camp in the Bubble last year.

Ionescu is coming back from an ankle injury suffered in the third game last season. The injury took her out of the entire season.

As the NCAA all-time leader in career triple-doubles, the Pac-12 Conference all-time leader in assists, and the only NCAA Division I basketball player to record 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career, Ionescu had built quite a legacy at Oregon. Her play led the Liberty to select her with the first overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Big things were expect, but the injury derailed those plans. Heading into this season, Ionescu says she is fully recovered and ready to producing for the Liberty.

Rookie center Janelle Bailey went undrafted after a stellar career at North Carolina. Bailey was the 5th player in school history to total 1,700 career points and 1,000 rebounds. She also was among the 10 semifinalists for the Lisa Leslie Award as the nation’s top center each of her final 3 seasons. Although she surprisingly was not drafted, she quickly signed with the Liberty.

Born in Brooklyn, Bailey expressed her happiness with joining her native town team. She also noted despite being raised in North Carolina, she has a special place and many family and friends in the New York area. Bailey talked about the experience going from undrafted to signing with the team. She also talked about her biggest challenges and adjustments she'll need to make in camp to make the team.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a fact not lost on Bailey. She talked about the importance of mental health awareness for her and her team, what all are doing to promote awareness and what everyone else, especially those affected, should do. It is just one more important cause the WNBA is addressing.

The Liberty opens the 2021 WNBA season against the Indiana Fever at the Barclays Center. The team finished a woeful 2-20 last season, good for last place overall. I am not going on a limb in saying they will be vastly improved this season.

The interview session can be found at On the Beat With the New York Liberty 05/01/2021. Also, check WNBA.com for info on the Liberty and the league. Check here, GlobalTravelerUSA.com, Patch.com and GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com for my recurring coverage.