WNBA Draft: 3 Goals For the New York Liberty

The New York Liberty are set to take on an active role at the 2024 WNBA Draft, as they hold four picks on Monday night.

Apr 10, 2023; New York, NY, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to the media before the / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

All the WNBA's rowdy friends are here on Monday night, and that's set to include the New York Liberty.

Free agent splashes ... perhaps more like tsunamis ... have had the Liberty mostly watching recent WNBA Drafts as spectators. But general manager Jonathan Kolb and Co. have four picks to work with when the selections are announced at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), mere blocks away from their Barclays Center home.

Fresh off a WNBA Finals appearance, New York owns the 11th pick on Monday night, the penultimate choice of the opening round. The Liberty also have the 17th (from Chicago), 23rd, and 35th choices in their arsenal, as they hold four picks in a draft for the first time since 2021.

While the Liberty are far removed from the mainstream rookie conversations (the ones that center on prime gamechangers like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso), there's still a chance for New York to make a seafoam-branded impact on Monday's proceedings ...

Make 11 Heaven

While most of the Liberty's premier draft picks from prior seasons planted the seeds for their current setup headlined by stars from abroad (i.e. Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot), there's a chance to find a unique talent that can contribute immediately with the 11th choice. Previous difference-makers chosen at 11th include Ivory Latta and Chelsea Gray, while New York also found franchise leader in blocks (and current Las Vegas Aces rival) Kiah Stokes back in 2015.

Tempting as it may be to think of gaining even more assets or even fostering the future, the Liberty should do their utmost to find an immediate contributor with their first-round pick.

New York appeared to be content watchin the free agency proceedings play out this time around, getting most of their dirty work done before the playoffs tipped off (i.e. getting both Laney-Hamilton and Kayla Thornton on long-term deals). This draft is plenty deep enough to find someone like that, including premier scorers like Dyaisha Fair or Alissa Pili. The team could afford to be patient with their last first-rounder, 2022's Nyara Sabally, but the time for freshman patience is nearing its end.

Aug 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; New York Liberty guard Marine Johannes (23) dribbles up the / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Say 'Bonjour' to the New Marine

Few WNBA depth stars have captivated the basketball-loving nation better than Marine Johannes, the Libery's lauded "wizard" capable of conjuring back-breaking scoring rushes and downright mystical plays. Alas, New Yorkers may have to bid adieu to Johannes as she prepares to rep her native ... and host nation ... France at the upcoming Summer Olympics, partly done in by the WNBA's prioritization rules.

There's probably only one Marine Johannes, but the Liberty can find a similarly skilled magician with their 11th pick. Nika Muhl, one of the long-standing staples of the evoling Connecticut Huskies' lineup, could at least somewhat replicate that magic, albeit with a bit of a defensive touch. The same goes for Charisma Osborne, a five-year woman out of UCLA who would add backcourt length and offensive vision.

If the Liberty wanted a Johannes for both now and later, they could keep an eye on the similarly skilled and heritaged Leila Lacan. A combo guard out of France, Lacan was not listed on Les Bleus' Olympic qualifying team and coul become one of the more sought-after secondary choices for her athleticism.

Now & Later

A common theme of this Liberty offseason has been quietly keeping in tune for the present while building for the future: Stewart, for example, turned down high-paying core designation while the team is prepared to bide its time for defensive stalwart Rebekah Gardner to heal after she was brought in last month.

Though the 11th choice is best spent on an immediate contributor, the Liberty have a prime opportunity to continue building for the future, perhaps stashing choices for the next generation to work with. The team did exactly that with their lone selection last year, bringing in USC's Okako Adika with the 30th pick. A 3-and-D wing, Adika will compete for a roster spot later this spring and her three-point prowess (43 percent, third in the Pac-12 in 2023) should give her an edge against other young competitors.

Renowned for turning the tide through veterans means, the Liberty know that diamonds in the rough can linger in the draft: Laney-Hamilton has become a Brooklyn staple after establishing herself as lasting second-round choice (ironically as the 17th overall pick) while Thornton has built a lasting prescience with both Dallas and New York since arriving as an undrafted rookie in 2014.