New York Liberty

The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1997 and is one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Joe Tsai, the majority owner of the Brooklyn Nets. The team's home games are played at Barclays Center.

New York Liberty
2023 New York Liberty season
Conference	Eastern
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	1997
History	New York Liberty 1997–present
Arena	Barclays Center
Location	Brooklyn, New York
Team colors	Seafoam green, black, white^[1]^[2]
CEO	Keia Clarke
General manager	Jonathan Kolb
Head coach	Sandy Brondello
Assistant(s)	Olaf Lange Roneeka Hodges Zach O'Brien
Ownership	Joseph Tsai
Championships	0
Conference titles	3 (1999, 2000, 2002)
Website	liberty.wnba.com
Heroine Explorer Rebel

The Liberty have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in seventeen of its twenty-six years. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as Teresa Weatherspoon, Rebecca Lobo, Becky Hammon, Leilani Mitchell, Essence Carson, Cappie Pondexter, Tina Charles, and the team's first-ever No.1 overall Draft pick Sabrina Ionescu. The Liberty have three conference championships and have played in the WNBA Finals four times, falling to the Houston Comets in 1997, 1999, and 2000, and losing to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship and are the only original franchise in the WNBA without a championship.

Franchise history

Early success (1997–2002)

Prior to the team's first season, to avoid potential trademark infringement, the team purchased the trademarks of the defunct Liberty Basketball Association.

When the WNBA opened in 1997, the Liberty were one of the first teams to choose a player, and they signed college superstar Rebecca Lobo (UConn) to a contract. Lobo was a starter for two seasons, but was injured in 1999. Her injuries eventually led to her retirement several seasons later. Point guard Teresa Weatherspoon emerged as a star, and the Liberty made it to the 1997 championship game, where the team lost to the Houston Comets. In 1999, they added Crystal Robinson with the 6th overall pick^[3] and returned to the WNBA Finals, where they again faced the Comets. In Game 2, Teresa Weatherspoon's halfcourt shot at the buzzer gave the Liberty a one-point road win that tied the series at a game apiece. However, the Liberty lost the third game of the series and the Comets became champions for a third straight time.

In 2000, the Liberty traded for Tari Phillips who blossomed in New York and made four straight All-Star teams. In 2001, Weatherspoon became the WNBA's all-time assist leader. Teamed with Robinson, Phillips and an emerging Sue Wicks, who was once a back-up to Lobo at forward but made the 2000 All-Star game, Weatherspoon and the Liberty subsequently returned to the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost once again to the Comets and to the Los Angeles Sparks, respectively. The Liberty also advanced to the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals in 2001.

Transition seasons (2003–2009)

 

Madison Square Garden during a Liberty game.

The 2003 season marked a transition for the Liberty and with team leader Teresa Weatherspoon's WNBA career winding down, fan favorite Becky Hammon emerged as a star player. The 2004 season saw Hammon replacing Weatherspoon as the team's starting point guard.

The Liberty played six of their home games during the 2004 season at Radio City Music Hall as Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention.^[4] These games marked the first time Radio City had hosted a professional sporting event since the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match held in 1999.

With team leader Tari Phillips being signed away to the Houston Comets, Ann Wauters emerged as a force at the team's starting center position in 2005. However, she was unfortunately injured midway through the season. The loss of Wauters was felt as the team was swept two games to none by the Indiana Fever in the first round of the playoffs.

The Liberty had a poor 2006 season, winning only 11 games, the fewest in franchise history.

At the beginning of the 2007 WNBA season, the team traded Becky Hammon to the San Antonio Silver Stars for Jessica Davenport, a first round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft. They also acquired center Janel McCarville through the dispersal draft associated with the dissolution of the Charlotte Sting. The 2007 Liberty started out 5–0, then lost 7 straight games, then rallied at the end of the season to get the last playoff spot by winning 3 out of their last 4 games, beating the Washington Mystics on the tiebreaker of head-to-head record. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Liberty, as huge underdogs, faced the defending champion Detroit Shock in a best-of-three series. The Liberty defeated the Shock by winning Game 1 in New York. In Games 2 and 3 the Liberty lost both games to the Shock in Detroit, 76–73 and 71–70 (OT) respectively.

In 2008, the Liberty drafted former Rutgers shooting guard Essence Carson and former North Carolina forward Erlana Larkins, and signed former Utah point guard Leilani Mitchell during the preseason. Despite having the youngest average age of any WNBA team, the Liberty managed to win 19 regular season games in 2008, to defeat the Connecticut Sun in the first round of playoff action, and to come within two points of defeating the Detroit Shock in the third and last game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, the Detroit series entailed a Liberty victory at home in Game 1, followed by narrow defeats away in Games 2 and 3. The 2008 season also featured the "Liberty Outdoor Classic", the first ever professional regular season basketball game to be played outdoors, on July 19 at Arthur Ashe Stadium of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Indiana Fever defeated the Liberty in the Outdoor Classic.

In the 2009 WNBA Draft, the Liberty selected local favorite Kia Vaughn from Rutgers. With a solid core group, the Liberty looked to be a contender in the East yet again.

In the 2009 season, however, they never proved to be a contender and the team fired head coach Pat Coyle. To replace Coyle, the Liberty hired then-Liberty assistant coach Anne Donovan on an interim basis. Despite the coaching change, the franchise continued to struggle, finishing 13–21, their second worst record in franchise history.

The Cappie Pondexter era (2010–2014)

The New York Liberty fared better in 2010, during Donovan's first and only full season as head coach. Led by newly signed high scorer Cappie Pondexter (formerly of the Phoenix Mercury) and the 2010 Most Improved Player Award winner Leilani Mitchell, the team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Atlanta Dream.

The team had high hopes for 2011, after the hiring of former WNBA champion head coach John Whisenant. Janel McCarville did not report to training camp, seeking time with her family, and as such, was suspended for the duration of the 2011 season. This caused division and discord within the New York Liberty fanbase. Kia Vaughn was unexpectedly thrust into the role of starting Center.

The Liberty were originally scheduled to be displaced from their usual home court due to renovations at Madison Square Garden scheduled to begin in 2009. However, the renovation plans were delayed, and the Liberty played at the Garden in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty ended up playing in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for their 2011, 2012, and 2013 seasons while the renovations were ongoing.

Pondexter and Plenette Pierson, along with improved play from Vaughn, allowed New York to be competitive early in the 2011 season. The team went into the All-Star break in third place in the Eastern Conference. In August, Sidney Spencer was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Kara Braxton. By maintaining a fairly even standard of play, the Liberty made their way into the WNBA Playoffs. However, the Liberty fell to the Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Isiah Thomas era (2015–2018)

On May 5, 2015, the Liberty hired Thomas as Team President overseeing all business and basketball operations of the franchise.^[5] Under Thomas' leadership as team president and the coaching staff led by Bill Laimbeer as head coach, the Liberty finished first in the Eastern Conference during the 2015 season.^[6]

On August 2, 2015, during halftime at the game against the Seattle Storm, the New York Liberty inducted WNBA legend Becky Hammon into the Liberty's Ring of Honor. Thomas presented Hammon with her ring during the induction ceremony at Madison Square Garden. Hammon is currently the head coach of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces.

After qualifying for the 2016 WNBA Playoffs, the Liberty lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the second round.^[7]

In November 2017, the Madison Square Garden Company and James L. Dolan announced they were actively looking to sell the franchise.^[8] After not immediately finding a buyer, MSG relocated most of the Liberty's 2018 home games to Westchester County Center in nearby White Plains, New York, the home of MSG's NBA G League team the Westchester Knicks, while still continuing to pursue a sale.^[9]

The Joseph Tsai era (2019–present)

On January 23, 2019, the Liberty were sold to Joseph Tsai, co-founder of the Alibaba Group, a Chinese internet company, who then owned 49% of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.^[10] Isiah Thomas was relieved of his duties a month later, on February 21, 2019.^[11] During the 2019 season, the Liberty played two games in Brooklyn at the Nets' home of the Barclays Center, with the rest still in White Plains. Later that year, Tsai became the sole owner of the Nets and the Barclays Center.^[12] For the 2020 season, Tsai relocated the Liberty to Brooklyn on a full-time basis.^[13]

The Liberty were major players in the 2020 WNBA draft, entering that draft with three first-round picks plus two in the early second round. Shortly before the draft, they traded former league MVP Tina Charles to the Washington Mystics in a deal that also involved the Dallas Wings.^[14] They chose Sabrina Ionescu as the first pick, with Megan Walker and Jazmine Jones selected later in that round.^[15] The team also introduced a new logo, featuring a simplified version of their Statue of Liberty branding. The color black was also made one of the primary colors, echoing the aesthetic of their NBA brother squad, the Brooklyn Nets.^[16]

The Liberty began the 2020 season, held in a "bubble" in Bradenton, Florida, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with seven rookies on their opening-night roster.^[17] The team suffered a major blow in their third game, in which Ionescu suffered a severe ankle sprain that ultimately ended her season.^[18] The Liberty ended the season with a league-worst 2–20 record. Despite the lack of wins, one of the first-year players, 12th overall pick Jazmine Jones, was named to the Associated Press and WNBA's All-Rookie teams. ^{[19] [20]}

The Liberty made major splashes during the 2021 offseason. Prior to its first season as full-time tenants of Barclays Center, the Liberty added WNBA champions Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb in a multi-team trade that sent Kia Nurse and Megan Walker to the Phoenix Mercury ^[21] and signed Betnijah Laney, the league's 2020 Most Improved Player Award winner. ^[22] The team then added Michaela Onyenwere and DiDi Richards in the 2021 WNBA Draft. Laney would represent the Liberty at the 2021 WNBA All-Star Game while Onyenwere won the Associated Press' Rookie of the Year Award. New York finished the year with a 12–20 record but the 10-game improvement in the win column was enough to push the team into the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2017. Seeded eighth, the Liberty put up a valiant effort against No. 5 Phoenix in the opening but fell by an 83–82 final.

On December 6, 2021, the Liberty and head coach Walt Hopkins Jr. parted ways.^[23] The team would hire former Phoenix head coach Sandy Brondello in his place just over a month later on January 7, 2022.^[24] On the roster, the team brought in Stefanie Dolson of the defending champion Chicago Sky and drafted Nyara Sabally fifth overall, though the latter would miss her whole rookie season with an injury. In Brondello's first season at the helm, the team was forced to overcome an early injury to Laney and got off to a 1-7 start. But the All-Star efforts of Ionescu and Howard kept the team afloat and they would end the season on a three-game winning streak to secure its second consecutive playoff berth.

Season-by-season records

Season	Team	Conference		Regular season			Playoff Results	Head coach
				W	L	Win %
New York Liberty
1997	1997	East	2nd	17	11	.607	Won WNBA Semifinals (Phoenix, 1–0) Lost WNBA Finals (Houston, 0–1)	Nancy Darsch
1998	1998	East	3rd	18	12	.600	Did not qualify	Nancy Darsch
1999	1999	East	1st	18	14	.563	Received a bye for the Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals (Charlotte, 2–1) Lost WNBA Finals (Houston, 1–2)	Richie Adubato
2000	2000	East	1st	20	12	.625	Won Conference Semifinals (Washington, 2–0) Won Conference Finals (Cleveland, 2–1) Lost WNBA Finals (Houston, 0–2)	Richie Adubato
2001	2001	East	2nd	21	11	.656	Won Conference Semifinals (Miami, 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Charlotte, 1–2)	Richie Adubato
2002	2002	East	1st	18	14	.563	Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana, 2–1) Won Conference Finals (Washington, 2–1) Lost WNBA Finals (Los Angeles, 0–2)	Richie Adubato
2003	2003	East	6th	16	18	.471	Did not qualify	Richie Adubato
2004	2004	East	2nd	18	16	.529	Won Conference Semifinals (Detroit, 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Connecticut, 0–2)	R. Adubato (7–9) P. Coyle (11–7)
2005	2005	East	3rd	18	16	.529	Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana, 0–2)	Pat Coyle
2006	2006	East	5th	11	23	.324	Did not qualify	Pat Coyle
2007	2007	East	4th	16	18	.471	Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit, 1–2)	Pat Coyle
2008	2008	East	3rd	19	15	.559	Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut, 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Detroit, 1–2)	Pat Coyle
2009	2009	East	7th	13	21	.382	Did not qualify	P. Coyle (6–11) A. Donovan (7–10)
2010	2010	East	2nd	22	12	.647	Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana, 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Atlanta, 0–2)	Anne Donovan
2011	2011	East	4th	19	15	.559	Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana, 1–2)	John Whisenant
2012	2012	East	4th	15	19	.441	Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut, 0–2)	John Whisenant
2013	2013	East	5th	11	23	.324	Did not qualify	Bill Laimbeer
2014	2014	East	5th	15	19	.441	Did not qualify	Bill Laimbeer
2015	2015	East	1st	23	11	.676	Won Conference Semifinals (Washington, 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Indiana 1–2)	Bill Laimbeer
2016	2016	East	1st	21	13	.618	Lost Second Round (Phoenix 0–1)	Bill Laimbeer
2017	2017	East	1st	22	12	.647	Lost Second Round (Washington 0–1)	Bill Laimbeer
2018	2018	East	5th	7	27	.206	Did not qualify	Katie Smith
2019	2019	East	5th	10	24	.294	Did not qualify	Katie Smith
2020	2020	East	6th	2	20	.091	Did not qualify	Walt Hopkins
2021	2021	East	3rd	12	20	.375	Lost First Round (Phoenix 0–1)	Walt Hopkins
2022	2022	East	4th	16	20	.444	Lost First Round (Chicago 1–2)	Sandy Brondello
Regular season				418	436	.489	4 Conference Championships
Playoffs				28	39	.418	0 WNBA Championships, 4 Losses

Statistics

New York Liberty statistics
1990s Season Individual Team vs Opponents PPG RPG APG PPG RPG FG% 1997 S. Witherspoon (14.5) R. Lobo (7.3) T. Weatherspoon (6.1) 68.3 vs 65.9 32.9 vs 33.3 .412 vs .391 1998 S. Witherspoon (13.8) R. Lobo (6.9) T. Weatherspoon (6.4) 68.6 vs 65.5 31.5 vs 29.7 .425 vs .419 1999 V. Johnson (13.3) S. Wicks (7.0) T. Weatherspoon (6.4) 67.8 vs 65.3 29.5 vs 30.7 .418 vs .412
2000s Season Individual Team vs Opponents PPG RPG APG PPG RPG FG% 2000 T. Phillips (13.8) T. Phillips (8.0) T. Weatherspoon (6.4) 67.1 vs 63.6 29.4 vs 30.2 .436 vs .407 2001 T. Phillips (15.3) T. Phillips (8.0) T. Weatherspoon (6.3) 67.6 vs 65.1 28.6 vs 30.7 .456 vs .423 2002 T. Phillips (14.1) T. Phillips (7.0) T. Weatherspoon (5.7) 65.3 vs 63.0 27.2 vs 30.0 .444 vs .399 2003 B. Hammon (14.7) T. Phillips (8.5) T. Weatherspoon (4.4) 66.0 vs 66.4 28.1 vs 31.2 .429 vs .419 2004 B. Hammon (13.5) E. Baranova (7.2) B. Hammon (4.4) 66.2 vs 67.6 29.5 vs 32.4 .424 vs .414 2005 B. Hammon (13.9) E. Baranova (6.9) B. Hammon (4.3) 68.1 vs 67.2 28.6 vs 30.3 .445 vs .427 2006 B. Hammon (14.7) K. Schumacher (5.5) B. Hammon (3.7) 69.8 vs 78.2 30.0 vs 34.5 .397 vs .449 2007 S. Christon (11.2) J. McCarville (4.8) L. Moore (4.8) 71.0 vs 73.6 31.6 vs 35.7 .417 vs .414 2008 S. Christon (15.7) C. Kraayeveld (6.1) L. Moore (4.6) 75.7 vs 74.6 32.5 vs 34.6 .421 vs .427 2009 S. Christon (16.1) J. McCarville (5.5) L. Moore (3.9) 73.9 vs 74.6 31.8 vs 35.4 .415 vs .420
2010s Season Individual Team vs Opponents PPG RPG APG PPG RPG FG% 2010 C. Pondexter (21.4) J. McCarville (5.9) C. Pondexter (4.9) 79.2 vs 76.0 31.2 vs 32.0 .453 vs .436 2011 C. Pondexter (17.4) K. Vaughn (6.7) C. Pondexter (4.7) 76.0 vs 74.8 32.8 vs 32.4 .433 vs .429 2012 C. Pondexter (20.4) P. Pierson (5.4) C. Pondexter (4.3) 73.1 vs 77.2 33.4 vs 34.4 .425 vs .429 2013 C. Pondexter (16.9) K. Braxton (6.6) C. Pondexter (4.0) 69.6 vs 77.0 37.5 vs 35.0 .404 vs .408 2014 T. Charles (17.4) T. Charles (9.4) C. Pondexter (3.9) 72.1 vs 75.2 34.8 vs 33.9 .422 vs .426 2015 T. Charles (17.1) T. Charles (8.5) T. Wright (3.5) 74.4 vs 71.1 36.7 vs 31.5 .426 vs .393 2016 T. Charles (21.5) T. Charles (9.9) T. Charles (3.8) 81.6 vs 80.9 38.6 vs 34.0 .434 vs .413 2017 T. Charles (19.7) T. Charles (9.4) E. Prince (2.9) 79.7 vs 76.6 38.7 vs 31.8 .425 vs .408 2018 T. Charles (19.7) T. Charles (7.0) B. Boyd (5.3) 77.7 vs 84.8 34.1 vs 35.2 .432 vs .439 2019 T. Charles (16.9) T. Charles (7.5) B. Boyd (4.6) 77.4 vs 84.7 34.6 vs 35.7 .414 vs .438
2020s Season Individual Team vs Opponents PPG RPG APG PPG RPG FG% 2020 K. Nurse (12.2) A. Zahui B. (8.5) L. Clarendon (4.9) 71.9 vs 85.9 35.8 vs 37.0 .372 vs .444 2021 B. Laney (16.8) N. Howard (7.2) S. Ionescu (6.1) 78.5 vs 85.5 33.3 vs 36.6 .427 vs .438 2022 S. Ionescu (17.4) N. Howard (7.3) S. Ionescu (6.3) 79.6 vs 82.0 34.2 vs 35.7 .431 vs .418

Current roster

New York Liberty roster v t e
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs G/F   Adika, Okako 6' 0" (1.83m) 1996-08-23 USC R C 31   Dolson, Stefanie 6' 5" (1.96m) 235 lb (107kg) 1992-01-08 Connecticut 9   Green, Morgan 1996-08-13 UC Irvine R G 20   Ionescu, Sabrina 5' 11" (1.8m) 165 lb (75kg) 1997-12-06 Oregon 3 G 23   Johannès, Marine 5' 10" (1.78m) 134 lb (61kg) 1995-01-21 France 2 F/C 35   Jones, Jonquel 6' 6" (1.98m) 215 lb (98kg) 1994-01-05 George Washington 6 F   Koné, Sika 6' 2" (1.88m) 180 lb (82kg) 2002-07-13 Mali R G/F 44   Laney, Betnijah 6' 0" (1.83m) 166 lb (75kg) 1993-10-29 Rutgers 7 G 10   Prince, Epiphanny 5' 9" (1.75m) 179 lb (81kg) 1988-01-11 Rutgers 13 G/F 2   Richards, DiDi 6' 2" (1.88m) 164 lb (74kg) 1999-02-08 Baylor 2 F 30   Stewart, Breanna 6' 4" (1.93m) 170 lb (77kg) 1994-08-27 Connecticut 6 F 6   Thornton, Kayla 6' 1" (1.85m) 188 lb (85kg) 1992-10-20 UTEP 7 G 22   Vandersloot, Courtney 5' 8" (1.73m) 137 lb (62kg) 1989-02-08 Gonzaga 12 G/F 13   Willoughby, Jocelyn 6' 0" (1.83m) 180 lb (82kg) 1998-03-25 Virginia 2 C 21   Xu, Han 6' 10" (2.08m) 193 lb (88kg) 1999-10-31 China 2	Head coach   Sandy Brondello Assistant coaches   Olaf Lange   Roneeka Hodges (Florida State)   Zach O'Brien (Saint Joseph's College of Maine) Athletic trainer Terri Acosta Strength and conditioning coach Emily Zaler Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended   Injured   WNBA roster page
East ATL CHI CON IND NY WAS West DAL LV LA MIN PHO SEA

Other rights owned

Nationality	Name	Years pro	Last played	Drafted
	Nyara Sabally	—	—	2022
	Sika Koné	—	—	2022
	Marine Fauthoux	—	—	2021
	Raquel Carrera	—	—	2021

Former players

• Elena Baranova (2003–2005)
• Sherill Baker (2006–2007)
• Kelsey Bone (2013)
• Essence Carson (2008–2015)
• Swin Cash (2014–2016)
• Tina Charles (2014–2019), currently a member of the Phoenix Mercury
• Shameka Christon (2004–2009)
• Jessica Davenport (2007–2008)
• Barbara Farris (2006–2007)
• Kisha Ford (1997–1998)
   

  Madison Square Garden was home to the Liberty from 1997 until 2018, except for the 2011, 2012, and 2013 seasons due to summer renovations.
• Becky Hammon (1999–2006), current head coach of the Las Vegas Aces
• Kym Hampton (1997–1999), current Fan Development Leader for the Liberty
• Lindsey Harding (2016)
• Tiffany Jackson Jones (2007–2010)
• Vickie Johnson (1997–2005), current head coach of the Dallas Wings
• Cathrine Kraayeveld (2005–2009)
• Rebecca Lobo (1997–2001)
• Janel McCarville (2007–2010)
• Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2010)
• DeLisha Milton-Jones (2013–2014)
• Leilani Mitchell (2008–2013), currently a member of the Washington Mystics
• Loree Moore (2005–2009)
• Tari Phillips (2000–2004)
• Cappie Pondexter (2010–2014)
• Crystal Robinson (1999–2005)
• Katie Smith (2013), currently an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx and a former head coach of the Liberty
• Erin Thorn (2003–2008)
• Teresa Weatherspoon (1997–2003), currently an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans
• Tamika Whitmore (1999–2003)
• Sue Wicks (1997–2002)
• Sophia Witherspoon (1997–1999)
• Amanda Zahui B. (2016–2020), currently a member of the Los Angeles Sparks

Honored numbers

New York Liberty honored numbers
No.	Player	Position	Tenure
11	Teresa Weatherspoon	G	1997–2003

Ring of Honor

Coaches and staff

Owners

• Cablevision, owner of the New York Knicks (1997–2009)
• Madison Square Garden, Inc., owner of the New York Knicks (2010–2019)
• Joe Tsai (2019–Present)^[25]

General Managers

• Carol Blazejowski (1996–2010)
• John Whisenant (2011–2012)
• Bill Laimbeer (2013–2014, 2017)
• Kristin Bernert (2015–2016)
• Jonathan Kolb (2019–present)

Head coaches

New York Liberty head coaches
Name	Start	End	Seasons	Regular season				Playoffs
				W	L	Win %	G	W	L	Win %	G
Nancy Darsch	1997	1998	2	35	23	.603	58	1	1	.500	2
Richie Adubato	1998	2004	5	100	78	.562	178	14	13	.519	27
Pat Coyle	2004	2009	5	81	90	.474	171	6	10	.375	16
Anne Donovan	2009	2010	2	29	22	.569	51	2	3	.400	5
John Whisenant	2010	2012	2	34	34	.500	68	1	4	.200	5
Bill Laimbeer	2013	2017	5	92	78	.541	170	3	5	.375	8
Katie Smith	2018	2019	2	17	51	.250	68	0	0	–	0
Walt Hopkins	2020	2021	2	14	40	.259	54	0	1	–	0
Sandy Brondello	2022	present	1	16	20	.444	36	1	2	.333	3

Assistant coaches

• Melissa McFerrin (1997–1998)
• Pat Coyle (1998–2004)
• Jeff House (1999–2004)
• Marianne Stanley (2004–2006)
• Nick DiPillo (2005–2008)
• Bruce Hamburger (2007–2008)
• Anne Donovan (2009)
• Laurie Byrd (2009–2010)
• Monique Ambers (2011–2012)
• Lady Grooms (2011–2012)
• Norm Ellenberger (2012)
• Barbara Farris (2013–2014, 2018–2019)
• Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2013)
• Katie Smith (2014–2017)
• Herb Williams (2015–2019)
• Charmin Smith (2019)
• Kelly Schumacher (2020)
• Shelley Patterson (2020–2021)
• Dustin Gray (2020–2021)
• Jacki Gemelos (2021)
• Olaf Lange (2022–Present)
• Roneeka Hodges (2022–Present)
• Zach O'Brien (2022–Present)

All-time notes

Home arenas

• Barclays Center; Brooklyn (2019^{[note 1]}, 2021–present)
• Westchester County Center; White Plains (2018–2019)
• Madison Square Garden; Manhattan (1997–2010, 2014–2017)
• Prudential Center; Newark (2011–2013)
• Arthur Ashe Stadium; Queens (2008)^{[note 2]}
• Radio City Music Hall; Manhattan (2004)^{[note 3]}

Regular season attendance

• A sellout for a basketball game at Madison Square Garden (1997–2010) is 19,563.
• A sellout for a basketball game at Prudential Center (2011–2013) is 18,711.
• A sellout for a basketball game at Madison Square Garden (2013–2017) is 19,812.
• A sellout for a basketball game at Westchester County Center (2018–2019) is 5,000.
• A sellout for a Liberty game at Barclays Center (2021–present) is considered to be 8,000, the team's initial cap on ticket sales at that venue. The full capacity for basketball is 17,732.

Regular season all-time attendance
Year	Average	High	Low	Sellouts	Total for year	WNBA game average
1997	13,270 (2nd)	18,051	8,554	0	185,786	9,669
1998	14,935 (2nd)	19,563	11,276	1	224,024	10,869
1999	13,797 (2nd)	16,782	10,940	0	220,748	10,207
2000	14,498 (2nd)	19,563	11,257	1	231,962	9,074
2001	15,671 (1st)	18,213	12,262	0	250,735	9,075
2002	14,670 (2nd)	19,563	12,037	1	234,717	9,228
2003	12,491 (2nd)	15,424	10,711	0	212,346	8,800
2004	9,629 (3rd)	15,698	5,945	0	163,686	8,613
2005	10,145 (1st)	12,543	7,897	0	172,471	8,172
2006	9,120 (2nd)	14,070	7,751	0	155,048	7,476
2007	8,677 (2nd)	11,341	6,267	0	147,506	7,742
2008	9,045 (4th)	19,393	6,928	0	153,772	7,948
2009	9,800 (3rd)	15,667	8,018	0	166,604	8,039
2010	11,069 (1st)	18,162	7,537	0	188,173	7,834
2011	7,702 (8th)	14,314	5,725	0	130,936	7,954
2012	6,779 (9th)	14,715	4,723	0	115,241	7,452
2013	7,189 (7th)	12,858	5,766	0	122,217	7,531
2014	8,949 (3rd)	17,252	7,023	0	152,128	7,578
2015	9,159 (3rd)	18,617	5,663	0	155,695	7,184
2016	9,724 (2nd)	14,503	7,356		165,300	7,655
2017	9,888 (4th)	17,443	7,004	0	168,096	7,716
2018	2,823 (12th)	12,488	1,419	0	47,988	6,721
2019	2,239 (12th)	7,715	1,181	0	38,067	6,535
2020	Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was played in Bradenton, Florida, without fans.^[26]^[27]
2021	1,874 (9th)	3,114	815	0	28,113	2,636
2022	5,327 (8th)	9,896	3,054	0	95,882	5,679

Draft picks

• 1997 Elite: Kym Hampton (4), Vickie Johnson (12)
• 1997: Sue Wicks (6), Sophia Witherspoon (11), Trena Trice (22), Kisha Ford (27)
• 1998: Alicia Thompson (9), Nadine Domond (19), Albena Branzova (29), Vanessa Nygaard (39)
• 1999: Crystal Robinson (6), Michele Van Gorp (18), Tamika Whitmore (30), Carolyn Jones-Young (42)
• 2000: Olga Firsova (13), Desiree Francis (29), Jessica Bibby (45), Natalie Porter (61)
• 2001: Taru Tuukkanen (57), Tara Mitchem (60)
• 2002: Linda Frohlich (26), Tracy Gahan (46), Dee Dee Warley (62)
• 2003 Miami/Portland Dispersal Draft: Elena Baranova (11)
• 2003: Molly Creamer (10), Erin Thorn (17), Sonja Mallory (24), Kristen Brook Sharp (26), Nicole Kaczmarski (39)
• 2004 Cleveland Dispersal Draft: Ann Wauters (4)
• 2004: Shameka Christon (5), Amisha Carter (17), Cathy Joens (30)
• 2005: Loree Moore (10), Tabitha Pool (23), Rebecca Richman (36)
• 2006: Sherill Baker (12), Brooke Queenan (23), Christelle N'Garsanet (37)
• 2007 Charlotte Dispersal Draft: Janel McCarville (3)
• 2007: Tiffany Jackson (5), Shay Doron (16), Martina Weber (29)
• 2008: Essence Carson (7), Erlana Larkins (14), Wanisha Smith (27), Alberta Auguste (35)
• 2009 Houston Dispersal Draft: selection waived
• 2009: Kia Vaughn (8), Abby Waner (21)
• 2010 Sacramento Dispersal Draft: Nicole Powell (1)
• 2010: Kalana Greene (13), Ashley Houts (16), Cory Montgomery (25)
• 2011: Alex Montgomery (10), Angel Robinson (22), Mekia Valentine (34)
• 2012: Kelley Cain (7), Katelan Redmon (36)
• 2013: Kelsey Bone (5), Toni Young (7), Kamiko Williams (15), Shenneika Smith (25), Olcay Çakır (27)
• 2014: Alyssa Thomas (4), Tyaunna Marshall (14), Meighan Simmons (26)
• 2015: Brittany Boyd (9), Kiah Stokes (11), Amber Orrange (23), Laurin Mincy (27), Michala Johnson (28)
• 2016: Adut Bulgak (12), Ameryst Alston (24), Shacobia Barbee (36)
• 2017: Lindsay Allen (14), Kai James (34)
• 2018: Kia Nurse (10), Mercedes Russell (22), Leslie Robinson (34)
• 2019: Asia Durr (2), Han Xu (14), Megan Huff (26)
• 2020: Sabrina Ionescu (1), Megan Walker (9), Jazmine Jones (12), Kylee Shook (13), Leaonna Odom (15), Erica Ogwumike (26; traded to Minnesota)
• 2021: Michaela Onyenwere (6), DiDi Richards (17), Valerie Higgins (25), Marine Fauthoux (29)
• 2022: Nyara Sabally (5), Sika Koné (29)

Trades

• December 15, 1999: The Liberty acquired Michele Van Gorp from the Portland Fire in exchange for Portland agreeing to select Sophia Witherspoon and Coquese Washington in the expansion draft.
• May 28, 2000: The Liberty traded Carolyn Jones-Young to the Portland Fire in exchange for Tari Phillips.
• February 24, 2006: The Liberty traded the 9th overall pick in the 2006 Draft to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Kelly Schumacher and the 12th overall pick in the 2006 Draft.
• April 4, 2007: The Liberty traded Becky Hammon and a second-round pick in the 2008 Draft to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for draft rights to Jessica Davenport and a first-round pick in the 2008 Draft.
• June 20, 2007: The Liberty traded Sherill Baker to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Lisa Willis.
• May 7, 2008: The Liberty traded a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Leilani Mitchell.
• May 5, 2009: The Liberty traded a first-round pick in the 2010 Draft to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Sidney Spencer.
• March 30, 2010: The Liberty traded Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld to the Chicago Sky in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2010 Draft and Cappie Pondexter and Kelly Mazzante from the Phoenix Mercury. Phoenix received Candice Dupree from Chicago as part of this trade.
• April 11, 2011: The Liberty traded Angel Robinson to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Jessica Breland and a second-round pick in the 2012 Draft.
• April 11, 2011: The Liberty traded Kalana Greene to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Sydney Colson.
• May 27, 2011: The Liberty acquired Quanitra Hollingsworth from the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the right to swap third-round picks in the 2012 Draft.
• August 4, 2011: The Liberty traded Sidney Spencer to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Kara Braxton.
• February 27, 2013: The Liberty traded Kia Vaughn to the Washington Mystics in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2013 Draft.
• March 1, 2013: The Liberty traded Janel McCarville to the Minnesota Lynx and Nicole Powell plus a third-round pick in the 2013 Draft to the Tulsa Shock. In exchange, the Liberty received Deanna Nolan, a second-round pick in the 2013 Draft, and a third-round pick in the 2013 Draft.
• April 15, 2013: The Liberty traded Quanitra Hollingsworth to the Washington Mystics in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2013 Draft.
• April 14, 2014: The Liberty traded Kelsey Bone, Alyssa Thomas, and a first-round pick in the 2015 Draft to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Tina Charles.
• July 9, 2014: The Liberty traded DeLisha Milton-Jones to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Swin Cash.
• February 16, 2015: The Liberty traded Cappie Pondexter to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Epiphanny Prince.
• April 16, 2015: The Liberty traded Alex Montgomery to the San Antonio Stars in exchange for the 9th overall pick in the 2015 Draft. The Liberty also traded Anna Cruz and 16th and 35th overall pick to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the 11th, 23rd and 28th overall pick in the 2015 Draft.
• May 2, 2016: The Liberty traded a second-round pick in the 2017 Draft to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Shoni Schimmel.
• May 11, 2016: The Liberty traded a first-round pick in the 2017 Draft to the Dallas Wings in exchange for Amanda Zahui B. and a second-round pick in the 2017 Draft.
• January 30, 2017: The Liberty traded Carolyn Swords, a first-round pick in the 2017 Draft to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Kia Vaughn and Bria Hartley.
• April 11, 2019 : The Liberty traded their second round pick in the 2020 Draft to Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Tanisha Wright.
• April 11, 2020: The Liberty engaged in a three team trade where the team acquired the 13th pick in the 2020 Draft and sent Sugar Rodgers to Las Vegas.
• April 17, 2020: The Liberty traded the draft rights to Erica Ogwumike to Minneosta in exchange for Stephanie Talbot.
• April 17, 2020: The Liberty acquired the draft rights for Jocelyn Willoughby from Phoenix in exchange for Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.
• February 10, 2021: The Liberty traded Kia Nurse and Megan Walker to Phoenix in exchange for the 6th pick in the 2021 Draft and the Mercury's first-round pick in the 2022 Draft.
• February 10, 2021: The Liberty traded the 1st overall pick in the 2021 Draft, a second-round pick in the 2022 Draft, and their second-round 2022 Draft pick to Seattle in exchange for Natasha Howard.
• February 10, 2021: The Liberty traded the rights to Stephanie Talbot to Seattle in exchange for Sami Whitcomb.
• April 11, 2022: The Liberty traded their Second Round pick in the 2023 Draft to Seattle in exchange for the rights to Lorela Cubaj.
• June 8, 2022: The Liberty traded Asia Durr to Atlanta in exchange for Megan Walker and the rights to Raquel Carrera.

All-Stars

• 1999: Kym Hampton, Vickie Johnson, Rebecca Lobo, Teresa Weatherspoon
• 2000: Tari Phillips, Teresa Weatherspoon, Sue Wicks
• 2001: Vickie Johnson, Tari Phillips, Teresa Weatherspoon
• 2002: Tari Phillips, Teresa Weatherspoon
• 2003: Becky Hammon, Tari Phillips, Teresa Weatherspoon
• 2004: Becky Hammon
• 2005: Becky Hammon, Ann Wauters
• 2006: None
• 2007: None
• 2008: No All-Star Game
• 2009: Shameka Christon
• 2010: Cappie Pondexter
• 2011: Essence Carson, Cappie Pondexter
• 2012: No All-Star Game
• 2013: Cappie Pondexter
• 2014: Tina Charles, Cappie Pondexter
• 2015: Tina Charles
• 2016: No All-Star Game
• 2017: Tina Charles, Sugar Rodgers
• 2018: Tina Charles
• 2019: Tina Charles, Kia Nurse
• 2020: No All-Star Game
• 2021: Betnijah Laney
• 2022: Natasha Howard, Sabrina Ionescu

Olympians

• 2016: Tina Charles
• 2020: Rebecca Allen (AUS), Han Xu (CHN), Marine Johannès (FRA)

Honors and awards

• 1997 All-WNBA Second Team: Rebecca Lobo
• 1997 All-WNBA Second Team: Teresa Weatherspoon
• 1997 Defensive Player of the Year: Teresa Weatherspoon
• 1998 All-WNBA Second Team: Teresa Weatherspoon
• 1998 Defensive Player of the Year: Teresa Weatherspoon
• 1999 All-WNBA Second Team: Teresa Weatherspoon
• 2000 All-WNBA Second Team: Teresa Weatherspoon
• 2000 Most Improved Player: Tari Phillips
• 2001 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Sue Wicks
• 2002 All-WNBA Second Team: Tari Phillips
• 2005 All-WNBA Second Team: Becky Hammon
• 2007 Most Improved Player: Janel McCarville
• 2007 All-Defensive Second Team: Loree Moore
• 2010 All-WNBA First Team: Cappie Pondexter
• 2010 Most Improved Player: Leilani Mitchell
• 2010 All-Defensive First Team: Cappie Pondexter
• 2010 All-Rookie Team: Kalana Greene
• 2011 All-WNBA Second Team: Cappie Pondexter
• 2011 Most Improved Player: Kia Vaughn
• 2012 All-WNBA First Team: Cappie Pondexter
• 2013 All-Rookie Team: Kelsey Bone
• 2014 All-WNBA Second Team: Tina Charles
• 2015 Coach of the Year: Bill Laimbeer
• 2015 All-Rookie Team: Brittany Boyd
• 2015 All-Rookie Team: Kiah Stokes
• 2015 All-Defensive Second Team: Tina Charles
• 2015 All-Defensive Second Team: Kiah Stokes
• 2015 All-Defensive Second Team: Tanisha Wright
• 2015 All-WNBA First Team: Tina Charles
• 2015 All-WNBA Second Team: Epiphanny Prince
• 2016 Peak Performer (Points): Tina Charles
• 2016 Peak Performer (Rebounds): Tina Charles
• 2016 All-Defensive Second Team: Tanisha Wright
• 2017 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year: Sugar Rodgers
• '2020 All-Rookie Team: Jazmine Jones
• 2021 All-Rookie Team: Michaela Onyenwere
• 2015 All-Rookie Team: DiDi Richards
• 2021 Rookie of the Year: Michaela Onyenwere
• 2022 All-WNBA Second Team: Sabrina Ionescu

Media coverage

Liberty games are broadcast on the YES Network, which is a regional sports network based in New York City. More often than not, NBA TV will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Liberty games are Mike Crispino, Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and Julianne Viani.

All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Liberty games are broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The WNBA has reached an eight-year agreement with ESPN, which will pay right fees to the Liberty, as well as other teams in the league.^[28]

On May 22, 2019, the YES Network announced that it would broadcast 16 Liberty games for the 2019 season, adding to the network's existing basketball coverage of the Brooklyn Nets.^[29] Previously, games had been broadcast on MSG Network.

Notes

1. Two games
2. Liberty Outdoor Classic
3. Six games

References

1. "A Closer Look Inside: NY Liberty Logo History". Liberty.WNBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
2. "New York Liberty Reproduction Guideline Sheet". WNBA Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
3. . Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
4. Lena Williams (25 July 2004). "PRO BASKETBALL; Liberty Opens Big on Its Home, Er, Stage". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
5. "Liberty introduce Team President Isiah Thomas". New York Liberty.
6. Berman, Marc. "Isiah Thomas – yes, that Isiah Thomas – is Liberty's Mr. Fix-t". New York Post.
7. "New York Liberty get eliminated by Phoenix Mercury". 24 September 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
8. Voepel, Mechelle (November 15, 2017). "Jim Dolan parting ways with New York Liberty was only a matter of time". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
9. "MSG to Operate Liberty While Continuing to Pursue Sale, Westchester County Center to Serve as Team's Primary Home for 2018". New York Liberty. February 8, 2018.
10. "Joe Tsai Makes Purchase of the Liberty Official". Retrieved January 23, 2019.
11. Kussoy, Howie. "Isiah Thomas is no longer running the Liberty". New York Post. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
12. "NBA Board of Governors approves sale of Nets to Joe Tsai" (Press release). National Basketball Association. September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
13. "New York Liberty Announce Barclays Center as Home Venue Beginning in 2020". OurSports Central. October 17, 2019.
14. "Liberty trade Tina Charles to Mystics in 3-team deal". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
15. "WNBA Draft '20: Draft Board". WNBA. April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
16. "New York Liberty Unveil New Logo Prior to WNBA Draft". 14 April 2020.
17. Voepel, Mechelle (June 26, 2020). "New York Liberty sign seventh rookie in Joyner Holmes". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
18. "Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu won't need surgery on her sprained left ankle". ESPN.com. August 22, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
19. "New York Liberty's Jazmine Jones named to AP's All-Rookie team". 15 September 2020.
20. "Jazmine Jones Named to WNBA's 2020 All-Rookie Team". New York Liberty.
21. "Liberty welcome WNBA champions Natasha Howard, Sami Whitcomb, trade Kia Nurse and Megan Walker in deals with Storm, Mercury". New York Daily News.
22. "New York Liberty sign 2020 Most Improved Player Betnijah Laney". Empire Sports Media. 2 February 2021.
23. "BREAKING: New York Liberty, Walt Hopkins part ways". 6 December 2021.
24. "New York Liberty to hire Sandy Brondello as new head coach (Report)". January 2022.
25. "WNBA Announces Sale of New York Liberty to Joe Tsai". wnba.com. WNBA. January 23, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
26. "WNBA Announces Plan To Tip Off 2020 Season". WNBA. 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
27. "WNBA announces plans for 2020 season to start late July in Florida". NBC Sports Washington. 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
28. "WNBA Extends TV Rights Deal with ESPN and ABC". Sports Business. June 18, 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
29. "YES Network becomes official regional TV partner of WNBA's New York Liberty" (Press release). Yes Network. 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2019-05-23.

Sporting positions
Preceded by None	WNBA Eastern Conference co-champions with Houston Comets 1997	Succeeded by No title awarded
Preceded by No title awarded	WNBA Eastern Conference champions 1999, 2000	Succeeded by Charlotte Sting
Preceded by Charlotte Sting	WNBA Eastern Conference champions 2002	Succeeded by Detroit Shock