Young New York Liberty Squad Is Ready for WNBA Season

The Liberty's rookie filled roster is ready to go

screenshot from NBA Content Network

“I love them, my little babies”

This is what Amanda Zahui B. said during the New York Liberty’s virtual media day. Of course, Zahui B. is referring to the seven rookies that make up the Liberty roster this season. Yes, more than half of New York’s team consists of rookies. In a league where teams sometimes end up having to cut all their draft picks due to limited roster space, a roster with this many first-year players really gives the phrase “a young team” a whole new meaning.

“It reminds me a lot of my freshman year at Oregon because we had 7 freshmen,” first overall pick Sabrina Ionescu told reporters when asked about the advantages of playing alongside a handful of other rookies.

The  number of first-year players on the team may have caused some to write the Liberty off this season. ESPN has the Liberty ranked dead last in their WNBA power ranking. “No one expects us to be very good, no one expects us to succeed and so I think kind of having this underdog mentality that we’re all going to have, it’s going to help us. Maybe teams are going overlook us, maybe we're going to surprise some teams,” Ionescu said.

Having so many rookies on this team, means many, if not all, are going to have to contribute. It seems the young group is ready and excited to step up. “There’s accountability, we’re still competitive as rookies, we still want to have an impact on the team, it’s not just like oh we get a pass because we're rookies,” said rookie Jocelyn Willoughby.

The rookies may have an advantage over the veterans, in one category, the season’s setting. The WNBA season is taking place in a “bubble” this year due to COVID-19. The “bubble” living is pretty similar to the college lifestyle the rookies just came from. Some players are living in villas with their teammates, while others are staying in hotel rooms. According to thirteenth overall pick Kylee Shook, “It’s kind of like going from one college to another.”

This Liberty team isn’t just young because they have a lot of rookies, their veteran players are also not that far removed from their own rookie seasons. Kia Nurse was one of the younger players on the roster last season. In one year, she has gone from a sophomore player to one of the veterans. “Baby vet is definitely the term that’s used. But I’m going into year three, so I’ve not really met a lot of vets going into year three,” Nurse explained.

She also had some high praise for her rookie teammates, “They are all really smart basketball players, they’re excited to be here, they ask questions, and they’re not afraid to ask questions.”

The New York Liberty may be young, but it’s clear they are going to be there to support each other as they learn and work through this season.

The Liberty vs Storm opens the 2020 WNBA season Saturday, July 25 at noon EST.