The New York Liberty are the 2024 WNBA Champions. A tight best-of-5 series sees the Liberty secure their first-ever WNBA championship. Lots of celebration is planned for New York including a parade on Thursday in both Manhattan and Brooklyn. The confetti is still falling but how can the Liberty repeat in 2025? Here’s an in-depth breakdown of what New York needs to repeat as WNBA champions next season.
New York Liberty Roster Analysis
There’s the probable likelihood that the Liberty will be able to bring back the majority of this 2024 roster. Breanna Stewart is an unrestricted free agent but is expected to be cored again. The Liberty has under contract for next season: Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Kayla Thornton. Also are Nyara Sabally, Marquesha Davis, and Leonie Fiebich on unprotected rookie contracts. Ivana Dojkić and Jaylyn Sherrod will be on a reserved contract*.
The only unrestricted free agents would then be Courtney Vandersloot and Kennedy Burke. Additionally, the Liberty still retains the rights to Han Xu, Rebekah Gardner, Marine Johannès, Raquel Carrera, Kaitlyn Davis, and Marine Fauthoux.
(*A reserved player is free to negotiate a contract with their own team with different terms from the qualifying offer, but they may not negotiate with any other WNBA teams).
2025 Potential Roster
The Liberty’s probability of bringing back the majority of its championship roster from 2024 appears very plausible. There’s one slight wrench for 2025: the WNBA is finally expanding. The Golden State Valkyries are set to join the league next season and will select one player from each of the league’s twelve teams from 2024.
Each team will be able to protect six players and the Liberty may lose someone from their championship roster this way. This should make an easy assumption that the Liberty will protect their starting five from the WNBA Finals with Ionescu, Stewart, Jones, Laney-Hamilton, and Fiebich. The remaining spots should belong to Sabally who was key for the Liberty in the Finals. This leaves either Thornton, Vandersloot, Davis, Sherrod, or Dojkić,
Additionally, neither Han Xu, Kaitlyn Davis, Raquel Carrera, or Marine Fauthoux are eligible to be selected as the Liberty still hold their draft rights or were put under the “Suspended-contract expired” list. Furthermore, Rebekah Gardner and Johannès will be eligible to be selected unless New York opts to protect either one.
Expansion Selection
So who does Golden State select? Thornton appears the clear choice but just turned 32 years old. Neither Marquesha Davis nor Jaylyn Sherrod played much during their rookie seasons. Vandersloot could be the Valkyries’ pick but she’ll also turn 36 years old next season and may decide to retire if selected. Ivana Dojkić could simply decide not to show up for Golden State and stay overseas.
This leaves only Burke, Gardner, or Johannès. Gardner will turn 35 years old next season and will be coming off an ACL injury. Burke wasn’t used much this season and required a protected contract to entice her to come over. Johannès may accept the selection by Golden State and be rewarded with more minutes with the Valkyries. Ultimately, New York only loses Johannès and can then build on retaining the rest of their core from 2024.
Final 11 (or 12) for 2025
Already stated that the Liberty will have back Stewart, Ionescu, Laney-Hamilton, Jones, Fiebich, Sabally, and Thornton. New York will look to bring back Courtney Vandersloot on a (much) cheaper veteran contract to help stay under the salary cap for 2025.
Both rookies, Marquesha Davis, and Jaylyn Sherrod, should be able to fight for one of the final roster spots next season. The Liberty could squeeze in Gardner as a potential defensive guard/wing if she’s healthy enough to play. However, there seems little need to bring back either Burke or Dojkić. Lastly, the New York Liberty owns the 7th and 38th overall picks in the 2025 draft.
At these early stages of the WNBA off-season, I’d lock in eight players for the Liberty to be on the opening day roster. Their first-round pick should end up as a lock and should select a post player. Either UCLA’s Janiah Barker, Notre Dame’s Maddy Westbeld, or Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee look to be the best options.
Marquesha Davis, Sherrod, Gardner, Han Xu(if she comes over), Kaitlyn Davis, and their third-round pick (#38 overall) can fight for the final two (or three) roster spots. Finally, New York could also look to tap into the free agent market for a cheap post option to bring in (Monique Billings? Mercedes Russell? Brianna Turner?).
New York Liberty Roster Prediction
- PG: Ionescu/Vandersloot/Sherrod
- SG: Laney-Hamilton/Gardner and/or Davis
- SF: Fiebich/Thornton
- PF: Stewart/draft pick
- C: Jones/Sabally/free agent?
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I think Jonquel Jones has only been cored once. So they will have to protect her. I think that leaves Kayla Thornton unprotected.