Liberty Notebook: Chris DeMarco, players talk fine tuning offense, team’s $600 million valuation & more
· Yahoo Sports
Sunday’s preseason matchup against the Connecticut Sun will be the final live opportunity for the Liberty to fine tune its offense before the start of the regular season.
In last week’s 109-91 loss to the Indiana Fever, the team — as expected — looked like a work in progress playing in Chris DeMarco’s new system.
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DeMarco and his players now look forward to getting on the same page with the WNBA’s 30th season just a week away.
“It’s just building from the last one we had,” Sabrina Ionescu said on what she expects from Sunday’s matchup. “The first [game], it was like four days into learning the new offense, and was a little clunky, and everyone was out of position..”
Ionescu said the coaching staff instructed players on how the offense was supposed to run, but players only performed it correctly “under 30 percent of the time.”
“They weren’t mad about it. It’s like this is normal until everyone starts to learn where they have to go,” said Ionescu. “It’s all a part of the learning process. And so I think this next game for us is first getting that number above what it was last game, but continuing to build and chip away, and little by little, everything will feel really easy and not have to think
about it.”
The new Liberty offense is expected to be different from Sandy Brondello’s read-and-react system from last season. At times, Liberty players — and general manager Jonathan Kolb — cited constant east-to-west movement and poor spacing as issues from the Brondello era.
DeMarco wants a more structured process while playing with more space. As Ionescu stated, that was on displayed in the team’s preseason opener, but the 22 turnovers is proof of the process being a work in progress.
Key absences and the use of newer training camp players contributed to the struggles, too.
Offseason acquisitions Satou Sabally and Rebecca Allen were absent due to “reconditioning.” Marine Fauthoux, one of the team’s developmental players, missed the game with the same designation. Leonie Fiebich, Pauline Astier and Raquel Carrera all were overseas at the time of the matchup, too.
But with Sabally in the mix to return, Astier now with the team and more practice time for everyone in Brooklyn, the team hopes to fix its issues.
“Just find more rhythm,” DeMarco said he hopes to accomplish on Sunday. “There’s certain combinations we’ll look at, but I think it’s all part of training camp. You know, we’ve been playing against each other. We obviously have our practice squad we’re playing against but a chance for us to come together and play against a different opponent who’s also organized.”
THE $600 MILLION TEAMThe rich keep getting richer.
The Liberty rank second in Sportico’s annual WNBA franchise valuation with the publication revealing the franchise being worth a whopping $600 million.
The mark puts the franchise behind the Golden State Valkyries, who are worth $850 million.
The Liberty’s 2026 valuation is a jump from the reported $450 million valuation in 2025.
“It’s kind of a testament to us, this organization, the fans, our owners, and the investment that they continue to put in to the product that they see on the court. It takes a lot of people for that to happen, so I’m not surprised,” said Ionescu.
The Indiana Fever ($560 million), Seattle Storm ($425 million) and Phoenix Mercury ($420 million) round out the top five valuations.
“I think it’s definitely important,” said Betnijah Laney-Hamilton when asked if franchise valuations are numbers players look forward to. “I wouldn’t say that it’s something that’s like on my mind as we’re going out there [to play], but it’s something that’s definitely important to just know that you know that we are valuable.”
PRACTICE NOTESDeMarco expects Sabally to get her first preseason action on Sunday. The head coach will consult with his performance staff before deciding how many minutes the star will play.
He said Sabally’s previous absence is “part of the process” with the team building her up.
Allen hasn’t been a full participant in practice yet, but “she’s getting there,” DeMarco said. The veteran is out for Sunday’s matchup in Connecticut.
Laney-Hamilton was limited during the practice session open to media on Friday.
“Just making sure we’re saying on top of everything, you know, as I’m getting back out there and practicing…” she said.
Star Jonquel Jones was absent from practice Friday because “she wasn’t feeling well,” per DeMarco.
MAKING CUTSOn Thursday, the Liberty announced the team’s first round of cuts: guards Ashely Owusu and Ny’Ceara Pryor.
Pryor, a former Texas A&M guard, went 0-for-4 while totaling three rebounds, five assists, four steals in three turnovers in 24 minutes last week.
Ex-Nittany Lion Owusu also went 0-for-4 while recording three rebounds and one assist.
The cuts were the first of the DeMarco era and the team is expected to make another round by next week.
“At the end of the day, it’s a front office thing. I am part of it,” the head coach said. “I think it’s really important to understand that for a lot of these players, like coming into camp like this is their dream to be in this situation, and this is ultimately where they want to play and be at. And we understand that. Both were very young players, and both have bright futures, and I think both are WNBA players. Just for me as a coach like I’ve been honest from the start about what we’re looking for, and I’m also honest about where they can get to as players.”