The 2023 New York Liberty season was the 27th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the WNBA, and their second season under head coach Sandy Brondello.
| 2023 New York Liberty season | |
|---|---|
| Coach | Sandy Brondello |
| Arena | Barclays Center |
| Attendance | 7,777 per game |
| Results | |
| Record | 32–8 (.800) |
| Place | 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | 2nd seed; Lost in WNBA Finals to Las Vegas Aces |
| Team Leaders | |
| Points | Breanna Stewart – 23.0 ppg |
| Rebounds | Breanna Stewart – 9.3 rpg |
| Assists | Courtney Vandersloot – 8.1 apg |
| Media | |
| Television | YES Network WWOR-TV (1 game) |
The Liberty entered the season with high expectations after trading for former MVP Jonquel Jones and signing last year's MVP Breanna Stewart as a free agent. They also signed Courtney Vandersloot, who lead the league in assists for six of the past seven seasons.[1] The team started with an opening day hiccup as they lost to Washington, but would come back to win the rest of their May games to finish the month 3–1. They would start June splitting a back-to-back with Chicago, before winning two of their next three games. They would win four straight before losing the final game of the month to finish June 7–3. The Liberty started July with another four-game winning streak, only for it to be broken at home by Dallas. The Liberty went on another four-game winning streak before losing a make-up game to Minnesota. They would win the final game of the month to finish 9–2 in July. The team managed to extend the winning streak past four this time, as they won five straight to open August. During this streak, they secured a playoff berth on August 11. In their sixth game of the month, they defeated the Las Vegas Aces to win the Commissioner's Cup, which was the first trophy in franchise history.[2] The Liberty's next regular season game was again against the Aces, and they would lose to end their winning streak. They won their remaining four games in August to finish the month 9–1. They won their first four games in September, and headed into the final game of the season to clinch the best record in the WNBA, but lost the season finale to finish 4–1 in September.
The Liberty finished the regular season 32–8 overall and were the second seed in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs. Their 32 wins were the most in the regular season in team history, bettering the 23 wins from 2015. However, this was the first season the WNBA played a 40-game schedule. Their winning percentage of .800 was the best in franchise history, bettering the .676 mark, also from 2015.
As the second seed in the playoffs, New York faced off against the seventh seeded Washington Mystics, and New York hosted the first two games of the three-game series. The Mystics got off to a hot start in Game One, but the Liberty dominated the final three quarters and won the game 90–75. The Liberty lead Game Two by eleven at the half, but the Mystics stormed back and forced overtime. The Liberty won the overtime period and the game 90–86 to move on to the Semifinals. There, they faced off against the third seed Connecticut Sun. The Liberty lost Game One of the series 63–78. They responded in Game Two and overcame a first quarter deficit to win 84–77. In the pivotal Game Three in Connecticut, the Liberty rode a dominant first quarter to a 92–81 victory to advance to the 2023 WNBA Finals.
The Liberty faced a familiar foe in the finals, the Las Vegas Aces. The two teams squared off five times during the regular season, with the series finishing 2–2, but the Liberty taking the Commissioner's Cup. Game One of the series, was led by the Liberty by three at halftime, but the Aces dominated the second half to win 99–82. The Aces won Game Two 104–76 and left the Liberty needing to win three straight games to become WNBA Champions. The Liberty mounted a comeback in Game Three in New York and won 87–73. Game Four started well for the Liberty, they won the first quarter by ten points, but they could not hold on and lost the game 69–70. They lost the Finals one game to three, and finished runners-up.
After the season, the Liberty were fined $25,000 while Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, and Jonquel Jones were each fined $2,000 for violating media policies.
Transactions
WNBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 30 | Okako Adika |  United States | USC |
Transactions
| Date | Transaction | |
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2022 | Renounced the rights to Kylee Shook and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe | |
| January 12, 2023 | Extended Qualifying Offers to Crystal Dangerfield, Marine Johannès, and Han Xu[3] | |
| January 16, 2023 | Traded Rebecca Allen and the 6th Pick in the 2023 WNBA draft to the Connecticut Sun, and Natasha Howard and Crystal Dangerfield to the Dallas Wings, as part of a 3-Team Trade. The Liberty received Jonquel Jones from the Sun and Kayla Thornton from the Wings.[4] | |
| February 8, 2023 | Signed Breanna Stewart to a 1-Year Deal | |
| Signed Courtney Vandersloot to a 2-Year Deal[5] | ||
| Signed Epiphanny Prince to a Training Camp Contract[6] | ||
| February 10, 2023 | Signed Sika Koné to a Rookie Scale Contract[7] | |
| February 11, 2023 | Acquired the rights to Leonie Fiebich, a 2024 Second-Round Pick (from Chicago, and the right to swap 2025 First-Round Picks with Phoenix in a 4-Team Trade involving the Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and the Phoenix Mercury[8] | |
| February 17, 2023 | Signed Han Xu to the Qualifying Offer - Training Camp Contract | |
| February 28, 2023 | Signed Nyara Sabally to a Rookie Scale Contract[9] | |
| March 2, 2023 | Signed Marine Johannès to her Qualifying Offer[10] | |
| March 21, 2023 | Signed Morgan Green and Stephanie Mawuli to Training Camp Contracts[11] | |
| May 14, 2023 | Signed Sabrina Ionescu to Contract Extension[12] | |
| May 16, 2023 | Decline Team Option on Didi Richards | |
| Waived Didi Richards, Morgan Green, Sika Koné, and Stephanie Mawuli[13][14] | ||
| May 17, 2023 | Waived Epiphanny Prince | |
| May 18, 2023 | Temporarily suspend the contract of Marine Johannès due to Overseas Commitments | |
| May 19, 2023 | Signed Epiphanny Prince to a Hardship Contract[15] | |
| May 24, 2023 | Released Epiphanny Prince from the Hardship Contract | |
| May 30, 2023 | Activated Marine Johannès | |
| June 13, 2023 | Temporarily suspend the contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments | |
| June 17, 2023 | Signed Epiphanny Prince to a Hardship Contract[16] | |
| June 20, 2023 | Released Epiphanny Prince from the Hardship Contract | |
| June 25, 2023 | Signed Epiphanny Prince to a Hardship Contract[17] | |
| July 5, 2023 | Activated the temporarily suspended contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments | |
| July 16, 2023 | Temporarily suspend the contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments | |
| August 10, 2023 | Released Epiphanny Prince from the Hardship Contract | |
| August 12, 2023 | Activated the temporarily suspended contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments | |
| August 31, 2023 | Signed Kayla Thornton to a Contract Extension[18] | |
| September 9, 2023 | Signed Betnijah Laney to a Contract Extension[19] | |
| September 10, 2023 | Temporarily suspend the contract of Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments | |
Roster changes
Subtractions
| Personnel | Reason | New Team |
|---|---|---|
| Natasha Howard | Traded | Dallas Wings |
| Crystal Dangerfield | Traded | Dallas Wings |
| Rebecca Allen | Traded | Connecticut Sun |
| Sami Whitcomb | Free Agency | Seattle Storm |
| Michaela Onyenwere | Trade | Phoenix Mercury |
| Didi Richards | Waived | - |
Roster
| 2023 New York Liberty roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Depth
| Pos. | Starter | Bench |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Courtney Vandersloot | |
| SG | Sabrina Ionescu | Marine Johannès |
| SF | Betnijah Laney | Kayla Thornton Jocelyn Willoughby |
| PF | Breanna Stewart | Nyara Sabally |
| C | Jonquel Jones | Stefanie Dolson Han Xu |
Schedule
Preseason
| 2023 pre-season game log Total: 0–2 (Home: 0–0; Road: 0–2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May: 0–2 (Home: 0–0; Road: 0–2)
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| 2023 pre-season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular Season
Playoffs
| 2023 playoff game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round vs. Washington Won Series: 2–0
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Semifinals vs. Connecticut Sun Won Series: 3–1
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Finals vs. Las Vegas Aces Lost Series: 1–3
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| 2023 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Standings
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Conf. | Home | Road | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Las Vegas Aces | 34 | 6 | .850 | – | 18–2 | 19–1 | 15–5 | 9–1 |
| 2 | x – New York Liberty | 32 | 8 | .800 | 2 | 16–4 | 15–5 | 17–3 | 7–3 |
| 3 | x – Connecticut Sun | 27 | 13 | .675 | 7 | 14–6 | 13–7 | 14–6 | 7–3 |
| 4 | x – Dallas Wings | 22 | 18 | .550 | 12 | 11–9 | 11–9 | 11–9 | 6–4 |
| 5 | x – Atlanta Dream | 19 | 21 | .475 | 15 | 11–9 | 11–9 | 8–12 | 6–4 |
| 6 | x – Minnesota Lynx | 19 | 21 | .475 | 15 | 12–8 | 9–11 | 10–10 | 5–5 |
| 7 | x – Washington Mystics | 19 | 21 | .475 | 15 | 9–11 | 12–8 | 7–13 | 5–5 |
| 8 | x – Chicago Sky | 18 | 22 | .450 | 16 | 5–15 | 7–13 | 11–9 | 3–7 |
| 9 | e – Los Angeles Sparks | 17 | 23 | .425 | 17 | 9–11 | 10–10 | 7–13 | 5–5 |
| 10 | e – Indiana Fever | 13 | 27 | .325 | 21 | 5–15 | 6–14 | 7–13 | 2–8 |
| 11 | e – Seattle Storm | 11 | 29 | .275 | 23 | 8–12 | 4–16 | 7–13 | 4–6 |
| 12 | e – Phoenix Mercury | 9 | 31 | .225 | 25 | 2–18 | 8–12 | 1–19 | 1–9 |
Notes
- (#) – League Standing
- x – Clinched playoff berth
- e – Eliminated from postseason contention
- Source: Overall standings and Commissioner's Cup Standings
Playoffs
| Round One: Best-of-3 | Semifinals: Best-of-5 | Finals: Best-of-5 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Las Vegas Aces | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Chicago Sky | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Las Vegas Aces | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Dallas Wings | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Dallas Wings | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Atlanta Dream | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Las Vegas Aces | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | New York Liberty | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | New York Liberty | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Washington Mystics | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | New York Liberty | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Connecticut Sun | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Connecticut Sun | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Minnesota Lynx | 1 | ||||||||||||
Bold Series winner
Statistics
| Legend | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | TO | Turnovers per game |
| PF | Fouls per game | Team leader | League leader | ||||
Regular Season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breanna Stewart | 40 | 40 | 34.1 | .465 | .355 | .851 | 9.3 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 23.0 |
| Sabrina Ionescu | 36 | 36 | 31.5 | .423 | .448 | .872 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 17.0 |
| Betnijah Laney | 40 | 40 | 30.0 | .499 | .392 | .791 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 12.8 |
| Jonquel Jones | 40 | 40 | 25.0 | .527 | .352 | .863 | 8.4 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 11.3 |
| Courtney Vandersloot | 39 | 39 | 30.4 | .442 | .294 | .761 | 3.5 | 8.1 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 10.5 |
| Marine Johannès | 35 | 5 | 18.9 | .414 | .368 | .750 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 7.1 |
| Kayla Thornton | 40 | 0 | 17.3 | .433 | .313 | .767 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 4.5 |
| Stefanie Dolson | 23 | 0 | 11.9 | .515 | .462 | .786 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 4.0 |
| Nyara Sabally | 33 | 0 | 7.9 | .424 | .222 | .750 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.3 |
| Epiphanny Prince‡ | 10 | 0 | 7.1 | .400 | .300 | 1.000 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.8 |
| Han Xu | 8 | 0 | 4.5 | .300 | .000 | .000 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.5 |
| Jocelyn Willoughby | 29 | 0 | 6.6 | .400 | .438 | 1.000 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.2 |
‡Waived/Released during the season
†Traded during the season
≠Acquired during the season
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breanna Stewart | 10 | 10 | 38.0 | .358 | .196 | .872 | 10.2 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 18.4 |
| Jonquel Jones | 10 | 10 | 34.7 | .559 | .321 | .787 | 11.6 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 17.0 |
| Betnijah Laney | 10 | 10 | 36.1 | .473 | .365 | .733 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 15.2 |
| Sabrina Ionescu | 10 | 10 | 35.1 | .393 | .400 | .913 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 13.7 |
| Courtney Vandersloot | 10 | 10 | 32.6 | .420 | .378 | .800 | 3.9 | 6.3 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 10.6 |
| Kayla Thornton | 10 | 0 | 10.1 | .444 | .400 | 1.00 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 3.2 |
| Marine Johannès | 9 | 0 | 11.4 | .276 | .250 | .500 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.7 |
| Stefanie Dolson | 10 | 0 | 4.6 | .500 | .200 | .000 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 |
| Jocelyn Willoughby | 3 | 0 | 2.3 | .000 | .000 | .333 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Nyara Sabally | 4 | 0 | 1.3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Awards and honors
| Recipient | Award | Date awarded | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breanna Stewart | Eastern Conference Player of the Week | May 30 | [21] |
| June 13 | [22] | ||
| July 13 | [23] | ||
| August 1 | [24] | ||
| August 15 | [25] | ||
| September 4 | [26] | ||
| Player of the Month - May | June 2 | [27] | |
| WNBA All-Star Starter & Captain | June 25 | [28] | |
| Player of the Month - July | August 2 | [29] | |
| Player of the Month - August | September 6 | [30] | |
| All-Defensive First Team | September 22 | [31] | |
| WNBA MVP | September 26 | [32] | |
| All-WNBA First Team | October 15 | [33] | |
| Sabrina Ionescu | WNBA All-Star | July 1 | [34] |
| All-WNBA Second Team | October 15 | [33] | |
| Courtney Vandersloot | WNBA All-Star | July 1 | [34] |
| Peak Performer: Assists | September 11 | [35] | |
| Jonquel Jones | Eastern Conference Player of the Week | July 25 | [36] |
| Sandy Brondello | Coach of the Month - August | September 6 | [37] |
| Jonathan Kolb | Executive of the Year | September 14 | [38] |
| Betnijah Laney | All-Defensive Second Team | September 22 | [39] |