WNBA Offseason Primer: New York Liberty

January 15 marked the official start of WNBA free agency. The WNBA released an official list of core players, reserved players, unrestricted free agents and restricted free agents.

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With the help of The Summitt’s WNBA salaries database compiled by our own Howard Megdal, we’ll take a look at each WNBA team going into free agency, aiming to answer the following questions:

Which players are free agents?
Which players are still under contract?
Who are some potential prospects worth targeting in the upcoming WNBA Draft?
Which players on the free agent markets would be good fits to add for 2018?

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT- May 2: Brittany Boyd /

The New York Liberty finished last season with a record of 22-12. As the three seed, they were eliminated by the Washington Mystics and the scorching-hot right hand of Kristi Toliver in the second round of the WNBA playoffs.

2017’s single elimination early exit marked two in a row for the Liberty. We’ve seen frustrations boil over each of the last two seasons over the playoff format. If any team has a right to gripe, it’s the Liberty. Conferences essentially mean nothing now, but they’ve been the best team in the East for two years running. The Liberty were riding a 10 game winning streak heading into the playoffs.

That said, the early exit a year earlier was one of the bigger storylines heading into that second round game against the Mystics. Simply swallowing the disappointment stemming from those two losses is a tough ask of a fan base. Those memories will persist until the team makes it to a semifinal series. Right now, we still don’t know where the Liberty are going to play their home games or who will own the team. WNBA President Lisa Borders projected serious confidence, saying, “We will have a team in New York,” back in November.

That was the right move for Borders given her position, but you’ve read the story before about new decision makers taking over. Many of them want their personal stamp on everything. Katie Smith has already been named the next head coach following Bill Laimbeer’s decision to become the president/head coach of the Las Vegas Aces.

Tina Charles was an All-WNBA and All-Defense selection in 2017. The team designated her as its core player. The team lost Brittany Boyd just two games in last season to an Achilles tear. There is a lot yet to be seen from that promising duo alone, and being reminded of Boyd’s injury ought to drum up appreciation for the groove the team found down the stretch to win 10 in a row.

Now let’s break down New York’s personnel situation — current free agents, players still under contract and the status of their 2018 draft picks.

Unrestricted free agents (UFAs): F/C Kia Vaughn

Restricted free agents (RFAs): G Bria Hartley

Reserved players: G Lindsay Allen, G/F Rebecca Allen, F Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe

Core player: F/C Tina Charles

Players under contract:

G Brittany Boyd through 2018
G Epiphanny Prince through 2018
G Sugar Rodgers (contract details unknown — re-signed 2/7/2017, terms not disclosed)
G/F Shavonte Zellous through 2018
F/C Kiah Stokes through 2018
F Amanda Zahui B through 2018

2018 draft picks: No. 10, No. 22, No. 34

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 10: Shavonte Zellous /

The Liberty have four members of their backcourt set to return. Restricted free agent Bria Hartley could push that number to five. Then factor Lindsay Allen and Rebecca Allen into that mix — what exactly is a coach supposed to do with that many players? The Liberty may have a move to make there — one of Prince/Rodgers/Zellous could be very valuable to a playoff team and a move like that could possibly allow the Liberty to move up a few spots in the first round in return.

Would the Liberty be willing to make that kind of move, though? It is possible to skew younger when facing a roster crunch, but fans don’t always see eye-to-eye with that kind of thinking. At least five of New York’s six returning players will hit free agency in 2018 (Rodgers may as well, but the length of the deal she signed last offseason is unknown).

There’s an argument to be made to hold firm and keep the band together. 43 wins in two seasons should not be looked over so easily. Because we can all easily hop on NBA 2K and make dozens of trades at the snap of a finger, the loudest voices of the ‘blow it up’ culture probably resonate louder than they should.

Each member of their backcourt rotation demonstrated an ability to knock down shots. Later in the season, the roster really only lacked the presence of a guard with the burst to constantly get into the lane to turn more of those semi-contested looks into open ones. Boyd could be that player for this group. It’s unlikely that a decision to pivot in a big way right in the prime of Charles’ career would age well. Teams wait, wait, and wait some more just for a chance to land a top-tier player. Now ought to be the time for the Liberty to plan for Smith and Charles to lead the group over that single elimination hurdle to make a serious run for a Finals berth.

If Tina Charles only wishes to re-up on a one year deal, there will be a lot riding on the upcoming season for the franchise. However, there is a possibility that the team’s youth could inject some new life into the team’s more established core. Stokes and Zahui B could be in line to make somewhat of a leap. Raincock-Ekunwe, should the Liberty bring her back, could add a different dynamic up front.

Players to possibly target in free agency:

Kia Vaughn ought to be a top target for the Liberty. There just aren’t a lot of bigs out there that can rebound and battle down low with the best bigs in the league. Maybe the team is eager to create more playing time for Stokes, and the Liberty should at least dabble enough with some lineups with Charles at center should they need to go with that look in the playoffs. Vaughn is capable of contributing to a contender, so she may explore her options elsewhere.
Tamera Young is a true wing that could help a playoff team. If she’d be open to coming off the bench, she’d be an interesting target in spite of the potential crowd New York is already dealing with on the perimeter. Zellous regularly guarded the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer, so Young could add some valuable depth in a bench role that could ramp up come playoff time.

What are your expectations for the Liberty in 2018? Would the team be better off running it back or looking to make a move to re-tool around Tina Charles?

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