The New York Liberty just accomplished the ultimate goal. They secured the franchise’s first WNBA championship, beating the Minnesota Lynx in a highly competitive five-game series. After that great success, the mission for the Liberty is clear: repeat.
It won’t be easy, though. The Lynx are not going anywhere, the Aces are hungry for revenge after failing to secure their third title, Indiana will likely look much improved, and depending on some decisions in free agency, Seattle and Connecticut will be in the mix as well.
The Liberty will have plenty of competition in 2025 and a target on their backs. But before fans should start worrying about games, there is free agency to get through. Three of the Liberty’s rotational players from their 2024 title run will be free agents this offseason.
Most likely to return: Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart was one of the Liberty’s best players in the regular season and carried that over to the playoffs. She led New York in points, rebounds, and blocks per game during the postseason. Stewart may have struggled in Game 5 of the 2024 Finals, only converting four of her fifteen field goal attempts, but she was still one of the main reasons for the Liberty’s success.
After winning it all and adding a third championship to her resume, it is difficult to imagine that Stewart will leave New York in free agency. If she returns and plays at the same level, the Liberty will once again be one of the favorites to win the title in 2025.
Likely to return: Kennedy Burke
One of the Liberty’s biggest assets in the 2024 season was depth and length on the wing. Kennedy Burke was a part of that. She did not play too much in the playoffs but certainly helped the Liberty get there. Burke is familiar with the Liberty’s system and knows what Sandy Brondello expects from her.
Returning to New York would not be a bad situation for Burke, and the Liberty could really use her contributions. Plus, Burke may be in for a bigger role. The Liberty already lost Kayla Thornton to the Golden State Valkyries and need the depth in case some of their international players are not entirely reliable when it comes to their WNBA commitment. After all, EuroBasket Women 2025 and the FIBA World Cup in 2026 will both take place in Germany and the Liberty are relying heavily on two German players: Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally.
Least likely to return: Courtney Vandersloot
When Courtney Vandersloot first signed with the Liberty in 2023, she was a big part of their super team. By 2024, that looked quite different. Vandersloot averaged the fewest minutes and points per game of her career and lost her starting spot to Leonie Fiebich in the playoffs.
Vandersloot seemingly took the change well, supporting her younger teammate, but might still choose to look for a bigger role in free agency. Some young teams in the league would certainly benefit from adding a veteran ballhandler of Vandersloot’s caliber to the roster.
At 35, Vandersloot may even consider retiring. But, considering that she still averaged over 20 minutes per game last season and will suit up for the Mist Basketball Club in Unrivaled’s inaugural season later this month, it seems that Vandersloot still has some meaningful basketball left to play. The question is just whether it will be in New York or not. The Liberty could use her ballhandling off the bench, but Vandersloot would have to be content with a smaller role.