New York Liberty
| New York Liberty | ||
|---|---|---|
| founding | 1997 | |
| history |
New York Liberty since 1997 |
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| Stadion |
Prudential Center (2011 to 2013) Madison Square Garden (1997 to 2010 and 2014 to 2017) Westchester County Center (2018 to 2019) Barclays Center (from 2020) |
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| Location | Brooklyn , New York | |
| Club colors | blue, orange, green | |
| league | WNBA | |
| Conference | Eastern Conference | |
| Head coach | Walt Hopkins | |
| General manager | Jonathan Kolb | |
| owner | Joseph Tsai | |
| Championships | no | |
| Conference title | 1999 , 2000 , 2002 , 2016 *, 2017 * (* after regular season) | |
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The New York Liberty are a team of the North American women's basketball professional league WNBA ( Women's National Basketball Association ). The team plays its home games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn , New York .
The team name comes from the Statue of Liberty .
The New York Liberty have been in the WNBA final four times, but have never won a WNBA championship.
history
Successful start (1997 to 2002)
The New York Liberty are among the teams that have been with the WNBA since its inception. In the initial player allocation , the Liberty were lucky enough to get Rebecca Lobo . Lobo was considered one of the best basketball players in college at the time. In the first WNBA season in 1997 , Lobo led the Liberty to the WNBA Finals, where they met the Houston Comets . However, the Liberty had no chance against the strong playing Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes and clearly lost the final with 51-65. In the 1998 season , the Liberty could not qualify for the playoffs despite 18 wins in 30 games. The 1999 season began with a big shock for the Liberty, because in the opening minutes of the first game of the season Lobo was injured so badly that she had to sit out two full seasons. In the absence of Lobo, Teresa Weatherspoon matured more and more to become the new superstar of Liberty. She managed to get the Liberty back into the WNBA Finals without Lobo. This year they met the Comets again. Even though this series spanned three games, the Liberty had little chance of defeating the Comets. Also in the 2000 season they made it back to the WNBA finals, where they again failed because of the insurmountable Houston Comets. In the 2001 season Lobo returned to the Liberty team. However, she was unable to match the performances from the first two seasons and sat most of the time on the Liberty bench. After that season, she was transferred to the Houston Comets for a second-round pick (26th overall) in the 2002 WNBA Draft . In the 2002 season , the Liberty made it back to the WNBA Finals, where they met Lisa Leslie and the Los Angeles Sparks this time . But like three times before, the Liberty remained unsuccessful in the finals this year.
Seasons without great success (2003 to 2012)
As it became increasingly clear in the 2003 season that Weatherspoons best days are over, their substitute Becky Hammon moved more and more into the limelight of Liberty. After Hammon even worked out his place in the starting line-up of Weatherspoon during the season, Weatherspoon's contract was not extended after the season and Hammon was thus in the starting line-up of Liberty for the entire 2004 season . Hammon managed together with Tari Phillips to lead the Liberty to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Liberty had to admit defeat to the Connecticut Sun in two games. After the season, Tari Phillips did not renew with the Liberty and instead signed with the Houston comets. But as with Weatherspoon before, Liberty managed to fill this position on an equal footing with Ann Wauters . However, Wauters injured himself during the season and could not play in the playoffs for Liberty, which clearly failed in the Conference Semifinals due to the Indiana Fever . Before the start of the 2007 season, the Liberty Becky Hammon transferred to the San Antonio Silver Stars for Jessica Davenport and a first-round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft . The Liberty were the last team in the east to qualify for the playoffs this season. The Liberty were considered a great underdog in the playoffs, where they almost threw the reigning champions from Detroit out of the competition. After the Liberty were able to win the first game in the series, they lost the second game with 73-76 and the all-important game only in the overtime with 70-71. Also in the coming seasons, the Liberty regularly reached the playoffs and also regularly failed early in the playoffs.
New start with a new trainer (since 2013)
Before the 2013 seasons , the team tried a fresh start with the engagement of successful coach Bill Laimbeer , who won three WNBA titles with the Detroit Shock . The hoped-for success did not materialize at the beginning and the team failed to qualify for the playoffs twice in a row. The team was only able to reach the postseason again in the 2015 season . The Liberty even achieved the best record in the Estern Conference and the season only ended with a defeat in the Conference Finals against the Indiana Fever . In 2016 the team again reached the playoffs with the best record of the Eastern Conference. After a bye in the first round of the new playoff system , the team failed despite home advantage as the third best team in the WNBA in the second round against the Phoenix Mercury team , which had a weaker record in the regular season. 2017 was a copy of the preseason. Again the Liberty were best team in the east and third best in the league. This time the Washington Mystics were the final destination in the 2nd round of the playoffs. After relocating to Westchester County Center, the Liberty played the worst season since its inception in the 2018 season with just 7 wins in 34 games. In 2019 at least 10 games were won, but the playoffs were again clearly missed.
Venue
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The New York Liberty played their home games from their inception until 2017 in the famous Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York. From 2011 to 2013, the team played for renovations in the traditional hall at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. At the time, the MSG was also home to the NBA team of the New York Knicks , the NHL team of the New York Islanders . The AFL team of the New York City Hawks and the NLL team of the New York Titans also played there until 1998 . For the 2018 season , the team moved to the much smaller Westchester County Center .
The Liberty will be relocated to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the 2020 season and beyond after the team was purchased in 2019 by Joseph Tsai , owner of the Brooklyn Nets .
Audience numbers
The team's audience numbers in all seasons in the MSG were well above the WNBA average. In some seasons even five-digit values were achieved. Only in the three seasons in exile in New Jersey was the attendance below average. Since returning to New York, the values have increased from season to season and in the end they almost reach five-digit values again. After moving to the Westchester County Center, the number of viewers decreased significantly. In the first season there in 2018, the team set two negative records. On the one hand, an average of 2,823 spectators meant the weakest visit of all teams in WNBA history. At the same time, the decrease of 7,066 viewers or 71.5% was previously unique in the WNBA. In 2019, the negative record was even broken with 2,239 spectators per game.
Achievements and honors
Sporting successes
The franchise reached the WNBA finals four times in its first six seasons ( 1997 , 1999 , 2000 , 2002 ), but never won the championship. In the following seasons, the Liberty only reached the Conference Finals four times - most recently in 2015 . In the 1999 , 2000 , 2002 , 2015 , 2016 and 2017 seasons , the Liberty were the best regular season team in the Eastern Conference.
Individual awards
After the team was a founding member of the league and was also successful in sport with four WNBA finals participations, few individual awards could be won in comparison. The honor as coach of the year after the 2015 season was only the eighth of these honors. The players have so far been particularly successful in the category of the most improved player.
Sportsmanship Award The honor of being the fairest player in the league has so far gone to a player from the New York team.
Coach of the Year Award : After Bill Laimbeer won the award for the best coach of the regular season in Detroit, he also received it in New York in 2015.
Most Improved Player Award : The award for the most improved player has already gone to Liberty players four times.
Peak Performers An award for best statistical values only went to New York in the 20th season of the WNBA. Tina Charles was then doubly successful.
- 2016 - Tina Charles (points)
- 2016 - Tina Charles (Rebounds)
Defensive Player of the Year Award : Teresa Weatherspoon received the award for the best female defensive player of the regular season twice.
- 1997 - Teresa Weatherspoon
- 1998 - Teresa Weatherspoon
Sixth Woman of the Year Award : In the 2017 season, Sugar Rodgers was the first Liberty player to be honored as Best Supplementary Player.
Season overview
Abbreviations: Sp. = Games, S = victories, N = defeats
| season | Sp. | S. | N | Wins in% | space | Play-offs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 28 | 17th | 11 | 60.7 | 2nd, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Semifinals, 1-0 ( Phoenix Mercury ), defeat in the WNBA Finals, 0-1 ( Houston Comets ) |
| 1998 | 30th | 18th | 12 | 60.0 | 3rd, Eastern Conference | not qualified |
| 1999 | 32 | 18th | 14th | 56.3 | 1st, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Finals, 2-1 ( Charlotte Sting ), loss in the WNBA Finals, 1: 2 ( Houston Comets ) |
| 2000 | 32 | 20th | 12 | 62.5 | 1st, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Semifinals, 2-0 ( Washington Mystics ) victory in the Conference Finals, 2-1 ( Cleveland Rockers ) defeat in the WNBA Finals, 0-2 ( Houston Comets ) |
| 2001 | 32 | 21st | 11 | 65.6 | 2nd, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Semifinals, 2: 1 ( Miami Sol ), Loss in the Conference Finals, 1: 2 ( Charlotte Sting ) |
| 2002 | 32 | 18th | 14th | 56.3 | 1st, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Semifinals, 2-1 ( Indiana Fever ) victory in the Conference Finals, 2-1 ( Washington Mystics ) defeat in the WNBA Finals, 0-2 ( Los Angeles Sparks ) |
| 2003 | 34 | 16 | 18th | 47.1 | 6th, Eastern Conference | not qualified |
| 2004 | 34 | 18th | 16 | 52.9 | 2nd, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Semifinals, 2-1 ( Detroit Shock ) Defeat in the Conference Finals, 0-2 ( Connecticut Sun ) |
| 2005 | 34 | 18th | 16 | 52.9 | 3rd, Eastern Conference | Conference Semifinals lost, 2-0 ( Indiana Fever ) |
| 2006 | 34 | 11 | 23 | 32.4 | 5th, Eastern Conference | not qualified |
| 2007 | 34 | 16 | 18th | 47.1 | 4th, Eastern Conference | Conference semifinals lost, 2-1 ( Detroit Shock ) |
| 2008 | 34 | 19th | 15th | 55.9 | 3rd, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Semifinals, 2-1 ( Connecticut Sun ), Loss in the Conference Finals, 1: 2 ( Detroit Shock ) |
| 2009 | 34 | 13 | 21st | 38.2 | 7th, Eastern Conference | not qualified |
| 2010 | 34 | 22nd | 12 | 64.7 | 2nd, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Semifinals, 2-1 ( Indiana Fever ), defeat in the Conference Finals, 0-2 ( Atlanta Dream ) |
| 2011 | 34 | 19th | 15th | 55.9 | 4th, Eastern Conference | Conference semifinals lost, 2-1 ( Indiana Fever ) |
| 2012 | 34 | 15th | 19th | 44.1 | 4th, Eastern Conference | Conference semifinals lost, 2-0 ( Connecticut Sun ) |
| 2013 | 34 | 11 | 23 | 32.4 | 5th, Eastern Conference | not qualified |
| 2014 | 34 | 15th | 19th | 44.1 | 5th, Eastern Conference | not qualified |
| 2015 | 34 | 23 | 11 | 67.6 | 1st, Eastern Conference | Victory in the Conference Semifinals, 2-1 ( Washington Mystics ) Loss in the Conference Finals, 1: 2 ( Indiana Fever ) |
| 2016 | 34 | 21st | 13 | 61.8 | 1st, Eastern Conference | Second round loss, 0-1 ( Phoenix Mercury ) |
| 2017 | 34 | 22nd | 12 | 64.7 | 1st, Eastern Conference | Second round defeat, 0-1 ( Washington Mystics ) |
| 2018 | 34 | 7th | 27 | 20.6 | 5th, Eastern Conference | not qualified |
| 2019 | 34 | 10 | 24 | 29.4 | 5th, Eastern Conference | not qualified |
| total | 764 | 388 | 376 | 50.8 | 15 playoff appearances in 23 seasons 26 series: 11 wins, 15 losses 63 games: 27 wins, 36 losses (42.9%) |
owner
| owner | Period |
|---|---|
| Cablevision | 1997 to 2009 |
| Madison Square Garden, Inc. | 2010 to 2019 |
| Joseph Tsai | since 2019 |
The first owner of the New York Liberty was Cablevision , who at that time also owned the New York Knicks . At the beginning of 2010, Cablevision founded the subsidiary Madison Square Garden, Inc. With this establishment, Cablevision transferred the entire ownership rights to its sports teams (Libery, Knicks, New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack ) to the subsidiary. Madison Square Garden, Inc. has been running Liberty’s business since 2010 .
Trainer
| Surname | season | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W. | L. | GC | W. | L. | ||
| Nancy Darsch | 1997 to 1998 | 58 | 35 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Richie Adubato | 1999 to 2004 | 178 | 100 | 78 | 27 | 14th | 13 |
| Pat Coyle | 2004 to 2009 | 171 | 81 | 90 | 16 | 6th | 10 |
| Anne Donovan | 2009 to 2010 | 51 | 29 | 22nd | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| John Whisenant | 2011 to 2012 | 68 | 34 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 4th |
| Bill Laimbeer | 2013 to 2017 | 170 | 92 | 78 | 8th | 3 | 5 |
| Katie Smith | 2018 to 2019 | 68 | 17th | 51 | - | - | - |
| Walt Hopkins | from 2020 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Abbreviations: GC = games, W = wins, L = defeats
Players
Squad of the 2020 season
As of July 23, 2020
| No. | country | Surname | position | Date of birth | Experience in WNBA |
college |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 |
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Leaonna Odom | Forward | 03/26/1998 | Rookie | Duke University |
| 3 |
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Megan Walker | Forward | 11/23/1998 | Rookie | University of Connecticut |
| 4th |
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Jazmine Jones | Guard | 10/15/1996 | Rookie | University of Louisville |
| 5 |
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Kia Nurse | Guard | 02/22/1996 | 2 seasons | University of Connecticut |
| 7th |
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Layshia Clarendon | Guard | 05/02/1991 | 7 seasons | University of California, Berkeley |
| 10 |
|
Joyner Holmes | Forward | 02/22/1998 | Rookie | University of Texas |
| 13 |
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Jocelyn Willoughby | Guard / Forward | 03/25/1998 | Rookie | University of Virginia |
| 17th |
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Amanda Zahui B. | center | 09/08/1993 | 5 seasons | University of Minnesota |
| 20th |
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Sabrina Ionescu | Guard | December 06, 1997 | Rookie | University of Oregon |
| 24 |
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Kylie Shook | Forward | 03/18/1998 | Rookie | University of Louisville |
| 25th |
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Asia Durr | Guard | 04/05/1997 | 1 season | University of Louisville |
| 41 |
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Kiah Stokes | center | 03/30/1993 | 4 seasons | University of Connecticut |
First-round voting rights in the WNBA Draft
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Since 1997, the club had 20 draft rights in the first round of the WNBA draft in 21 seasons . Only in 2001 , 2002 , 2010 and 2017 did the Liberty franchise not have a first-round draft pick due to trades. In three drafts, two players could even be selected in the first round ( 2008 , 2013 and 2015 ).
Although the Liberty are among the founding members of the WNBA, they have not yet had a draft right to any of the top three positions. The earliest player selected so far is Alyssa Thomas who was selected in fourth position in the 2014 draft . This is also one of the reasons why none of the team's players received the award for best newcomer of the year . In the lottery for the WNBA Draft 2010 , the Liberty would have been awarded the first draft right, but the year before they had given their draft right to the Minnesota Lynx .
In the 2017 season , Brittany Boyd and Kiah Stokes , two players selected by the team in the first round of the draft, were still in the club's squad.
Withdrawn jersey numbers
As the only jersey number so far, the number 11 has been withdrawn in honor of the American Teresa Weatherspoon .
| No. | Surname |
|---|---|
| 11 | Teresa Weatherspoon |
Web links
- Official website of Liberty (English)
- Official website of the WNBA (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ New York Liberty Draft History. WNBA, accessed July 19, 2012 .
- ^ All-Time WNBA Draft Picks. WNBA, accessed November 30, 2016 .