New York Liberty: Liberty are building hope for the immediate future

The New York Liberty look for immediate hope in their future through talented young draft picks and new ambitious ownership.

The 2018 WNBA season was not kind at all to the New York Liberty. The team fell from grace quickly after consecutive playoff appearances to having many questions and concerns heading into the offseason.

One of the biggest questions hovering over the franchise was ownership after being put on the selling block by the Madison Square Garden Company. Liberty were sold to businessman Joe Tsai who is also 49% minority owner and alternate Governor of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

In a press release after the finalization of the sale, Tsai expressed the great pride of continuing a winning legacy with the franchise:

"“It is an honor and a privilege to join the Liberty and WNBA families, As one of New York’s proudest franchises, the Liberty has played a vital role in New York City over the past 22 years. The Liberty and WNBA exemplify what it means to compete at the highest level, serve as role models in the local community, and bring greater opportunities to female athletes. Our goal is to continue this important work and help bring the WNBA into its next phase of growth.”"

Tsai takes over a franchise coming off a dismal season finishing 7-27, losing their final 13 games in a row. The Liberty were second to last in points per game (77.7) and were consistently struggling to score. Last season’s transition from Head Coach Bill Laimbeer to brand new Head Coach Katie Smith hasn’t been smooth, but she will be returning with a fresh start and new names to the roster.

One of the big, new names is their second overall pick in Wednesday’s draft, Asia Durr from Louisville. Durr is a 5 foot10 guard known for putting up big numbers in college averaged 17.8 per game over her career with the Cardinals. Durr’s ability to play both guard positions effectively make her a viable option for a team that lacked scoring outside of perennial all-star Tina Charles.

The Liberty next made another big move by drafting 6 foot 9 center Han Xu at No. 14. The 19-year-old is the first Chinese born player drafted in the league since 1997. Xu played with the Chinese National Team in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

The third round pick went to 6 foot 3 Utah forward Megan Huff. Huff averaged 19.6 points and 9.9 rebounds as a senior, leading Utah to a 20-10 record.

The building blocks are being put in place slowly as the team looks forward to training camp. The WNBA season is only a month away and the Liberty’s young core will need all the time they can to mesh before opening night.