The ultimate piece of the Liberty’s roster is nearer — at the least by way of distance — to returning.
Leonie Fiebich, the reserve-turned-starter who settled into an indispensable function on the championship workforce final season, was “on her way” to Brooklyn and scheduled to land Thursday after profitable a title abroad with Valencia in Spain’s Liga Femenina de Baloncesto, head coach Sandy Brondello stated.
Brondello didn’t need to speculate on a timeline for when Fiebich could be out there — with the Liberty’s season set to start Saturday in opposition to the Aces — till after she arrived.
“I think she’ll be integrated really quickly because she’s been here,” Brondello stated. “It’s more about when is she ready to go, what our load management is as we move forward.”
Fiebich averaged 9.8 factors and 26.5 minutes per sport for Valencia, and within the championship sequence in opposition to Zaragoza, she contributed 28 factors throughout two video games.
Her return abroad adopted a rookie season within the WNBA during which Fiebich — a second-round decide in 2020 ignored by groups along with her rights till the Liberty acquired her by way of a three-team commerce in 2023 and gave her a roster spot the next season — carved out a job off the bench that reworked right into a beginning one by the beginning of the playoffs.
Fiebich additionally collected 15 begins in the course of the common season.
This 12 months, although, Fiebich gained’t precisely be a shock contributor.
Her 6.0 factors and three.7 rebounds per sport and powerful wing protection as a substitute will function a baseline as soon as again within the lineup.
“We know she’s one of the toughest players out there,” Brondello stated, “but we want to be smart.”
Forwards Esmery Martínez and Leaonna Odom have been waived Thursday because the Liberty finalized their 12-person roster, with ahead Isabelle Harrison and guard Jaylyn Sherrod incomes the ultimate two roster spots.
“It’s more about what’s the balance of our team and what we need,” Brondello stated of the ultimate roster choices. “Can we cover for something if something happens? … It is obviously our 10th, 11th, 12th spot, so they just have to stay ready for when their opportunity comes.”
The Liberty formally suspended Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s contract Wednesday, confirming that their defensive anchor gained’t play in any respect in 2025 resulting from an acute meniscus tear suffered in her left knee throughout an Unmatched sport, although the Liberty will keep unique negotiating rights subsequent offseason.
“It happened so early that we could prepare for what it would look like without her, with her injury,” Brondello stated. “ ‘B’ will be missed, but I think we have enough to continue to elevate our game.”
Breanna Stewart will throw out the primary pitch Sunday in The Bronx as a part of the Yankees’ Liberty evening for his or her Subway Sequence finale in opposition to the Mets.
Her technique, based mostly on throwing out the primary pitch twice at Mariners video games in 2016 as a rookie on the Storm and receiving perception from others?
“Throw it up, throw it higher because you don’t realize how high you are on the mound,” Stewart stated.
