High Post Hoops
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Katie Smith out as New York Liberty head coach

By Howard Megdal

WHITE PLAINS, NY - AUGUST 30: Head Coach Katie Smith of the New York Liberty looks on before the game against Connecticut Sun on August 30, 2019 at the Westchester County Center, in White Plains, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WHITE PLAINS, NY - AUGUST 30: Head Coach Katie Smith of the New York Liberty looks on before the game against Connecticut Sun on August 30, 2019 at the Westchester County Center, in White Plains, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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A change for the Liberty

Katie Smith is out as head coach of the New York Liberty, a source familiar with the decision told High Post Hoops. The move was first reported by Doug Feinberg. Earlier this fall, High Post Hoops reported that her job had been in jeopardy.

The change comes following a 10-24 season, Smith’s second at the helm for the Liberty, amid a storm of changes and difficulties for the franchise.

UPDATED 1:18 PM EST: The team made it official. “On behalf of the entire Liberty organization, we want to thank Katie for her time with our franchise,” New York Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb said. “These decisions are never easy to make, but we felt it necessary to move our organization forward in a new direction. We wish her all the best.”

Smith took over after the 2017 season, when Bill Laimbeer left the Liberty to become the head coach and head of basketball operations with the Las Vegas Aces.

The decision to promote Smith, who’d been groomed for the role by Laimbeer following a distinguished WNBA career as a player, was a no-brainer.

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But the Liberty soon found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Original owner James Dolan announced that he’d be selling the team, but hadn’t yet lined up a buyer, putting the franchise into purgatory. Further complicating matters was Dolan moving the team from its longtime home at Madison Square Garden to the Westchester County Center, eliminating much of the home court advantage the Liberty had long enjoyed.

More than a year after his original announcement, Dolan sold the team to Joseph Tsai, who is also now the majority owner of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, leading to the belief that the Liberty will soon play there. A league source told High Post Hoops that announcement could come as soon as next week.

But with the fortunes of the team seeming to turn — a new home, and a top overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft meaning Sabrina Ionescu and a solution to the roster’s point guard problem may be at hand — a different coach will benefit from the changes.

Smith, however, isn’t likely to be out of work for long, given her deep ties with both the college and professional basketball realms.

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