The New York Liberty played their first preseason game Saturday, and they received an extended look at a former player.
Han Xu played her first game with the Liberty in three years. The 2026 WNBL Defensive Player of the Year scored a game-high 20 points and had three combined steals and blocks.
Xu played starters' minutes
Xu was impactful in the 22 minutes she played, and head coach Chris DeMarco rolled out a lineup that featured Xu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart frontcourt that could wreck havoc on opposing teams.
"We just want to take a look at it," DeMarco told reporters, per Liberty video. "I think, obviously, it gives us skill and shooting, so we can play a lot of different ways, and we like the switchability defensively."
It is important to caveat that this was a preseason game. Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull and Ty Harris did not play for the Fever, and Xu mostly played with and against other reserve players in the second half of Indiana's 109-91 win at Barclays Center.
However, the brief moments when Xu played with the Liberty starters and against a Caitlin Clark-led offense provided enticing opportunities for DeMarco's side.
Xu's ability as a ballhandler and skills on the post blended well with Stewart's and Jones' ability to space the foor. Also, Xu's shot-blocking ability can give the Liberty some grit defensively that sometimes wasn't always there last season.
Xu could be the Liberty's missing piece
Xu is an imposing threat, standing at 6-foot-11, and she also has the speed and ball skills that can keep up offensively and defensively.
Satou Sabally did not play for New York, but a lineup with her, Xu, Stewart, Jones and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton could be a major threat in the postseason. That is the highlight of what Xu offers the Liberty: lineup flexibility.
That was something the Liberty did not have in their first-round exit to the Phoenix Mercury in last year's playoffs. Sandy Brondello struggled to find the balance between offense and defense, but Xu offers DeMarco those answers.
Stewart and Jones expended a lot of energy in the playoffs trying to stop Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Sabally, who luckily is on their side this season. New York needs players like Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Xu: Defensive-first players who can carry that load while the trio of Stewart, Jones and Sabrina Ionescu focus on offense.
Xu also serves as reliable frontcourt depth, so that Jones and Stewart are not overtaxed or have to worry too much about the defensive end, while also providing their offensive talent.
Again, it was only one preseason game, and it should also be noted that Xu is only on a training camp contract, so it's not guaranteed she'll make the final roster. However, if she can come close to the contributions she provided Saturday, Xu should be a valuable member of the roster and a potential X-factor for the Liberty's title hopes.
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