Liberty intends to utilize the franchise tag on Breanna Stewart and is optimistic about re-signing free agent Jonquel Jones.
The New York Liberty, led by Breanna Stewart, came close to winning their first WNBA championship but ultimately lost to the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals.
Stewart had not experienced losing in a championship round since her freshman year of college until now. She had a successful track record, winning two Finals series with Seattle and four NCAA championships at UConn. However, she did suffer a defeat in the Big East Tournament during her freshman season.
Stewart expressed on Friday that his focus and attitude moving forward is to ensure he doesn’t experience that feeling again.
New York is aiming to retain the majority of their current team for the upcoming season. While Stewart may have the opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent, Liberty’s general manager, Jonathan Kolb, stated that he intends to assign her the franchise tag, preventing her from directly signing with another team.
“I have never been traded before. It’s not unexpected,” Stewart stated. “I’m enthusiastic about our endeavors in New York and with the Liberty. … I am eagerly anticipating being a part of it for a long time.”
Stewart’s main goal is to lead the city towards winning a championship.
“I cannot reword”
Although Stewart’s future with the team is secure for now, the Liberty will have to find a solution to retain free agent Jonquel Jones, who had a remarkable performance during the playoffs. She maintained an average of 17.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks throughout the postseason.
Jones, who came to New York in a trade in the offseason, is also an unrestricted free agent.
Kolb expressed the desire to keep her as a player and mentioned that discussions about her future will continue during the offseason.
Jones had a positive experience during her initial time in New York and expressed her inclination to return to the city in the future.
The Liberty already have Betnijah Laney, Courtney Vandersloot and Sabrina Ionescu signed for next season. Ionescu revealed on Friday that she was dealing with a hip injury in the WNBA Finals that she sustained against Connecticut in the previous round.
Ionescu declined to attribute her ailment as a justification but acknowledged that she was not at full capacity during the Finals. She maintained an average of only 9.7 points and had a shooting percentage of 31.5% in the four games.
“I had to receive a shot prior to (Game 1) in order to participate in those initial two Vegas games,” she stated. “Therefore, it was not an ideal situation. It’s just something that occurs. There is no justification, but I must admit that I couldn’t walk properly, so the timing was not favorable.”
