The Liberty’s bid to go back-to-back as WNBA champions simply received a significant raise.
Emma Meesseman, one of many prime forwards in worldwide basketball and a former WNBA Finals MVP, has agreed to signal with the Liberty, The Submit’s Madeline Kenney confirmed Monday.
Meesseman picked the Liberty over the Lynx and the Mercury, the opposite two groups on the prime of the WNBA standings.
The Belgian star’s arrival in Brooklyn is pending her going by the visa course of. The Liberty open the second half of their schedule Tuesday night time at Barclays Heart towards the Caitlin Clark-less Fever.
Phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed. The Liberty have the salary-cap house to supply Meesseman a pro-rated max contract.
The Liberty should make a roster transfer to create space for Meesseman after including Stephanie Talbot earlier Monday as their twelfth participant.
Meesseman, 32, joins the Liberty with a adorned résumé. She is a two-time WNBA All-Star and gained a title with the Mystics in 2019 alongside Natasha Cloud.
In her most up-to-date WNBA season in 2022, enjoying for the Sky, she averaged 12.4 factors (on 57.1/34.2/88.7 taking pictures splits), 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals. She’s a talented playmaker at 6-foot-4 and able to guarding a number of positions on protection.
Meesseman additionally has starred for Belgium on the worldwide stage, serving to the nationwide crew to a fourth-place end in final 12 months’s Olympics, along with a adorned skilled profession in Europe, the place she beforehand has teamed with Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.
“There’s a void to be filled, and that [would] be helpful,” Stewart mentioned earlier this month when requested about Meesseman’s free company. “I think she should come.”
The settlement comes because the Liberty are set to welcome again Jones, their beginning middle, once they resume play Tuesday.
Jones has been sidelined for greater than a month on account of a sprained proper ankle.
