The New York Liberty have a lot of work to do this offseason. After not making it past the first round of the playoffs, they have to hire a new head coach and manoeuvre an offseason that will see every key player other than Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich enter free agency.
As of now, it looks like the Liberty’s star power might not undergo many changes. GM Jonathan Kolb said in his end-of-season press conference that he had the “utmost confidence” that the big three of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones would return. He also noted that the Liberty would be interested in re-signing Emma Meesseman if she wants to return to New York. They may also give Natasha Cloud another shot with the core, given her defense, ball-handling, and championship experience.
There have also already been rumblings about who the Liberty’s next coach might be. NBA insider Jake Fischer recently reported, “Kristi Toliver is another known candidate to have interviewed strongly with the Liberty.” Tolliver has NBA and WNBA coaching experience as well as playing experience in the W. She also got endorsements from Mercury players after taking over as head coach in Game 4 of the finals.
If the Liberty re-sign Meesseman and Cloud and hire Toliver as their new head coach, they would be reuniting three of the key players of the 2019 Washington Mystics championship team.
Toliver, Meesseman, and Cloud helped lead the Mystics to a championship
Natasha Cloud, Kristi Toliver, and Emma Meesseman all played their part in getting the Mystics the 2019 WNBA Championship. During the regular season, Cloud led the team in total minutes and assists. Toliver ranked second in total assists and fifth in total minutes. Meesseman ranked fifth in total points and third in assists.
In the playoffs, all three were among the top four in total minutes played and total points scored. Meesseman led the team with 174 points and won Finals MVP despite coming off the bench for the majority of the games.
Elena Delle Donne, Aerial Powers, Ariel Atkins, and LaToya Sanders also played big roles for the Mystics that year, but Cloud’s, Meesseman’s, and Toliver’s contributions were invaluable. If reunited, they might find similar success with the Liberty—maybe not in the first season, but eventually.
Kristi Toliver is one of the top coaching candidates
With several head coaching opportunities available in the WNBA, Toliver seems primed to get her chance at a new position. Toliver played in the WNBA between 2009 and 2023. Over that time, she won two championships, was named an All-Star three times, and made the 2012 All-WNBA Second Team. She also found plenty of success overseas, winning several Russian National League championships and EuroLeague and EuroCup titles.
Toliver started her coaching career in the NBA while she was still playing in the W. In 2018, she landed a job with the Washington Wizards instead of playing overseas in the WNBA offseason. In 2021, she moved on to the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to the 2024 season, Toliver was named the Mercury’s associate head coach.
She offers everything a team should want to see from a first-time head coach: playing experience that will allow her to connect well with her players, WNBA coaching experience, including taking over as head coach in an elimination game in the finals, and NBA coaching experience.