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- 🧳 Familiar WNBA Faces in New Places
🧳 Familiar WNBA Faces in New Places
PLUS, We Signed a Liberty Training Camp Contract
Brian Fleurantin & Black Rosie
May 06, 2025
In partnership with
🗽GGU CREW GOES TO TRAINING CAMP!
Over the weekend, the New York Liberty held Media Appreciation Day! After a morning press conference with General Manager Jonathan Kolb and midday team practice, it was time for the journalists to step on the court.
First things first, we had to sign a contract!
From there, Natasha Cloud and Liberty head trainer Terri Acosta walked us through some stretches and exercises to ensure our bodies were in shape.
After we did our stretches, it was time to get to work! Over the course of the afternoon, we did three activities (dribbling at center court, pick-and-rolls at one basket, and spot-up shooting at another).
We ended our 45-minute contract with a knockout game. The final two were newly inducted US Basketball Writers Association Hall of Famer Doug Feinberg and Liberty head coach and Australian Basketball Hall of Famer Sandy Brondello.
The winner of knockout is Coach Sandy Brondello with solid form! #WNBATwitter
— Alford Corriette (@alfcorriette)
5:56 PM • May 3, 2025
Despite all of our best efforts, our dreams of making the roster were not meant to be
Via #WNBA transactions: The New York Liberty have waived all Media Members that participated in yesterday’s training camp.
— NYLFTV (@NYLibertyFanTV)
1:22 PM • May 4, 2025
We’ll get ‘em next year!
For more about Media Camp and the actual New York camp, check out the latest Gotta Get Up episode, which features Erica L. Ayala and me.
Erica is confident this will be the year Sabrina Ionescu takes the keys to the New York Liberty franchise. Do you agree?!
⛹🏽♀️ LOOKING TO CLIMB THE RANKS
Alyssa Thomas is all smiles at her first Phoenix Mercury Training Camp. Photo Credit: Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury had perhaps the busiest off-season in the WNBA. After saying goodbye to Diana Taurasi and watching Brittney Griner leave the organization to join the Atlanta Dream, things changed rapidly in the desert.
Alyssa Thomas, Sami Whitcomb, Kalani Brown, and Satou Sabally joined Kahleah Copper in Phoenix.
Since his hiring in October 2023, Tibbets has consistently talked about playing a faster-paced game that utilizes space and creates plenty of three-point shot attempts. That should be a big benefit to a player like Whitcomb.
Whitcomb is a career 36.1 percent shooter from three-point range, and her best season from deep in 2021 in Walt Hopkins’ three-point heavy Liberty offense. Sami plays a starring role in the WNBL, but on this team will play more of a supporting role. She spoke about that transition at Mercury Media Day in April.
I asked Sami Whitcomb if having a bigger role in the WNBL makes it difficult to adjust to a smaller role in the WNBA.
“Yes and no. Obviously, I’m not gonna be the No. 1 option, but I do think I have to act like that when I have the ball so teams respect me.”
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley)
6:30 PM • Apr 30, 2025
In Phoenix’s offense last season, they de-emphasized the midrange area in favor of more shots at the rim and from three-point range. Tibbets talked about how Satou has looked in camp and the emphasis on avoiding the midrange for Sabally and Kahleah Copper.
“She’s doing a great job getting to the rim. She’s in great shape, she’s physical, she’s big. They’re gonna take some midranges late in the clock, hopefully in the playoffs, those types of things, but they both have a good understanding of what we’re looking for.”
If Phoenix can get off to a great start and find some success in the guard room outside of Copper, it will be in line to return to the postseason and get its first playoff win since the 2021 WNBA Finals.
Britney Griner is ready to call Georgia her new WNBA home. Photo Credit: Atlanta Dream
In Atlanta, the Dream is ready to take the next step. The franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018 and hopes to break into the upper tier of the WNBA. Their new head coach, Karl Smesko, is coming to the pros after a 22-year tenure at Florida Gulf Coast University. Similar to Tibbets, he will emphasize three-pointers and shots at the rim.
The Dream’s offense was a source of concern in 2024, and now that they have Jordin Canada available for a full season in addition to off-season pickups Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, Atlanta is hoping to get their first playoff victory since the 2018 WNBA semifinals.
Haley Jones on what success will look like for her this season: “Getting back to Haley Jones. Getting back to doing what I do. Playing the open court, having [an] aggressive mindset. These past two years, I’ve been kind of passive.” (Q: Alexis Pierce)
— Meghan L. Hall (@itsmeghanlhall.bsky.social)2025-05-03T23:22:58.680Z
It will also be a pivotal season for Haley Jones. The former Stanford standout has had a fairly challenging start to her WNBA career, but she’s looking forward to returning to her best version of herself.
Haley also spoke about playing multiple positions and tapping into her entire skillset. If everything goes right, it could be a breakout season for her.
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🗓️ UPCOMING GAMES
Here’s the WNBA Preseason Slate through Wednesday, May 7
Date & Time | Matchup | Broadcast Details |
|---|---|---|
Tuesday, May 6 - 7:00 PM ET | MIN Lynx @ CT Sun | Watch FREE on League Pass |
Tuesday, May 6 - 10:00 PM ET | LA Sparks @ GS Valkyries | Watch FREE on League Pass |
Tuesday, May 6 - 10:00 PM ET | PHO Mercury @ LV Aces | Watch FREE on League Pass |
Wednesday, May 7 10:30 AM ET | ATL Dream @ WAS Mystics | Watch FREE on League Pass |
|
📰 WHAT WE’RE READING!
At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in women’s basketball.
Here’s what we’re reading:
Elephants and Emus: New York Liberty and Liberty Mutual team up by Brian Fleurantin for NetsDaily
Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and all the reasons why we're excited about the WNBA season by Cassandra Negley for Yahoo Sports
Why A’ja Wilson’s A’One is bigger than just another sneaker release by Garfield Hylton for Andscape
Morgan Taylor: Off the Court Impact by Alford Coriette for Her Hoop Stats
INTERVIEW: Catching up with Ayla McDowell by Roberta Rodgrigues for Beta Basket
Exclusive: Whitcomb on an iconic career that almost never happened by Hayley Wildes for Basketball.com.au
Paige Bueckers Takes It to the Next Level by Sean Gregory for TIME Magazine
8 Books That Explore The Cultural And Historical Legacy Of Black Dandyism by Lynette Nicholas for Essence Magazine
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