Marine Johannès returns to the Liberty, signing a two-year deal

France’s human sequel to the Statue of Liberty will return to Brooklyn

Fan favorite and walking highlight reel Marine Johannés will indeed be in seafoam in 2020, playing her first full season in the WNBA.

High Post Hoops can report that the French native has signed a two-year deal, earning 68K in 2020 and $70,040 in 2021. The deal leaves New York with $361,800 left before hitting the league’s new $1.3 million salary cap.

“Marine’s ability to create highly efficient shots for herself as well as her teammates blends seamlessly with the system our coaching staff plans to implement,” Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb said in a team statement.

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• Your Day in Women’s Basketball, September 28: All-Rookie team announced
• Your Day in Women’s Basketball, September 10: Dream are (mathematically) stayin’ alive

New head coach Walt Hopkins regards her as “one of the most underrated and talented players” in the WNBA, and expanded on why during his introductory press conference in early January.

“She can do things with the ball, with the pass, with her pull up jump shot from halfcourt.,” he said. “Marine is a special player.”

Before the completion of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement and before Hopkins was welcomed to New York, Kolb said in October that Johannés would be a crucial “part of the Liberty going forward.”

But a question he couldn’t answer for me was how her French national team commitments would factor into a return to New York. This is an Olympic year.  How much would it matter?

On Monday, Kolb gave more or less of an answer. “We expect Marine to report to the team at the conclusion of her overseas club obligations and are very excited that she is committed to the Liberty long term,” he said.

Her season overseas in France will conclude on April 22, following the 2020 WNBA draft which is slated for April 17. Currently, Johannés is playing for Lyon Asvel Feminin where she is averaging 11 points under 3 rebounds and almost 4 assists per game.

In the latest Olympic qualifying tournament in Bourges, Johannés finished with 15 points per game, including shooting 47.6 percent from three. Liberty Teammate Rebecca Allen finished the tournament scoring just three more total points than the French native.

With the Liberty in 2019, Johannés played around 18 minutes per game while averaging 7.2 points in each contest while logging over 2 assists and a tad under 2 rebounds per game. Her field goal percentage from three was a little lower in New York, hitting almost 38 percent of the time. A goal moving forward for the dynamic guard will be fine-tuning her skill and striving for consistency and confidence, which was something former head coach Katie Smith noticed last season. 

Kolb and Hopkins have taken a relatively quiet but equally rational approach to free agency, completing transactions that retain New York’s young core while letting go of pieces that might not have had added to the Liberty’s vision and desired identity in the upcoming season. But, Tina Charles’ status and future is still in flux and a looming mystery. Does New York desire another Oregon Duck to be welcomed to Brooklyn along with Sabrina Ionescu?  Trading Charles is a way to possibly make it a reality.

Also, what about Johannès’ close confidante and pal Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, and Reshanda Gray who both were extended reserve qualifying offers by New York.  So far, no word.  The only clue might have come from Gray where she appeared on David Lewis’ podcast “The D-Lew Show” and confidently expressed that she’s most likely returning to Liberty training camp this coming May.

But signing Layshia Clarendon and now Johannés are both moves that subscribe to Kolb’s litmus test. For Johannés, she passes the test as well: she’s selfless on the court while simultaneously being so New York on the court. Her European flair will now have the stage it deserves: Barclays.

But for those following this Brooklyn bunch, how will Hopkins establish a rotation that provides sizable minutes to Johannés, while also being mindful of other talented wings in Asia Durr and Allen.  A question that the first-year head coach is probably mulling over as we speak.

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