New York Liberty sign Ibekwe, Faris, Alleyne for training camp
By Ben Dull
The New York Liberty have added Ify Ibekwe, Kelly Faris and Jillian Alleyne to their training camp roster. With 10 players already under contract, Tina Charles designated as the team’s core player and a first round selection to make, the Liberty figure to be one of the tougher rosters to crack in 2018.
Ibekwe, a 6’2 forward, appeared in three games for the Seattle Storm in 2011 after being drafted by the team in the second round. After five seasons out of the league, she made the roster out of training camp with the Los Angeles Sparks. Ibekwe appeared in six games for the Sparks in 2017.
“Ify is able to play inside or outside with the ability to stretch the defense with her [three-point] shooting,” said Sparks general manager Penny Toler prior to training camp last season.
Faris was selected 11th overall by the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the 2013 WNBA Draft out of UConn. She spent four years with the Sun, appearing in 112 games and drawing 12 starts. Faris was signed to a training camp contract with the Sun in 2017 but was cut just prior to the start of the regular season as Kayla Pedersen, another training camp invitee, made the final roster.
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Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller had the following to say about Faris prior to the start of last season:
"Kelly is a tremendous competitor who won’t back down to anyone in the league. She is a pleasure to coach and I certainly appreciate everything she brings to our team and organization. She provides a consistent spark off the bench while giving her best each and every day."
Alleyne was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the 20th overall pick in the second round of the 2016 WNBA Draft out of Oregon. She suffered a torn ACL late in her senior season with the Ducks. Alleyne rehabbed the injury and returned to camp with the Mercury for 2017, though she did not make the roster. She was the 2016 co-Player of the Year in the Pac-12. Alleyne averaged 19 points and 13.6 rebounds per game as a senior.
The biggest storyline of this WNBA offseason has been centered on the Liberty, though it has nothing to do with the players they could re-sign or add to the roster via free agency.
Owner James Dolan declared his intentions to sell the team several months ago, but it was announced this month that those plans would be placed on hold. The Liberty will play 15 of their 17 home games at the Westchester County Center, home of the New York Knicks’ NBA G-League affiliate. The team will play just two games at Madison Square Garden in the regular season.
Charles is one of four designated core players yet to sign for the upcoming season — Karima Christmas-Kelly (DAL), Candice Dupree (IND) and Crystal Langhorne (SEA) remain unsigned as of Thursday.
The Liberty re-signed unrestricted free agent center Kia Vaughn, restricted free agent guard Bria Hartley, reserved free agent wing Rebecca Allen and reserved free agent point guard Lindsay Allen earlier this month.