2021 New York Liberty season explained

The 2021 New York Liberty season was the 25th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the WNBA. The Liberty opened the regular season on May 14, 2021 versus the Indiana Fever.^[1]

The Liberty started the season strong by winning their first three games and only losing two of their seven games in May. However, June turned into a much worse month for the team as wins were book-ended by two losses. The team finished 3–7 in June. Things looked to be turning around in July as the Liberty won their first two games, but they lost their last two games of the month to take a 10–11 overall record into the Olympic break. The post-Olympic break stretch of the season proved difficult for the Liberty. They won their second game out of the break after losing their first, but then went on an eight game losing streak that stretched into September. Going into the last game of the season, the Liberty were part of a three way tie for the eighth, and final playoff seed. The Liberty defeated Washington and Los Angeles lost their final game, so the Liberty won the tiebreaker and qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed with a final record of 12–20.

As the eighth seed, the Liberty played the fifth seeded Phoenix Mercury in Phoenix in the First Round. The game was more competitive than many expected and it came down to the wire. However, the Liberty were edged out 82–83 and their season came to an end.

Transactions

WNBA draft

See also: 2021 WNBA draft.

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	School/Team/Country
1	6	Michaela Onyenwere		UCLA
2	17	DiDi Richards		Baylor
3	25	Valerie Higgins		Pacific
3	29	Marine Fauthoux

Trades/Roster Changes

Date	Details
September 13, 2020	Signed C Kiah Stokes to a Contract Extension[2]
January 2, 2021	Extended Qualifying Offers to F Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, G Paris Kea, and F Joyner Holmes[3]
January 3, 2021	Exercised Team Options on G Asia Durr and C Han Xu[4]
February 2, 2021	Signed G/F Betnijah Laney[5]
	Signed F Joyner Holmes to a Training Camp Contract[6]
February 10, 2021	Traded G Kia Nurse and F Megan Walker to Phoenix in exchange for the 6th Overall Pick in the 2021 Draft and the Mercury's 1st Round Pick in 2022.[7]
	Traded the 1st Overall Pick in the 2021 Draft, a 2nd Round Pick in 2022 (via trade with Phoenix), and New York's own 2022 2nd Round Pick to Seattle in exchange for F Natasha Howard
	Traded the rights to F Stephanie Talbot to Seattle in exchange for G Sami Whitcomb
April 14, 2021	Signed F Asia Taylor to a Training Camp Contract[8]
April 16, 2021	Full Season Suspend C Han Xu due to Overseas Commitments[9]
April 19, 2021	Signed F Michaela Onyenwere, G Valerie Higgins, and G DiDi Richards to Rookie Scale Contracts[10]
April 24, 2021	Signed F Janelle Bailey to a Rookie Scale Contract[11]
April 26, 2021	Hired Jacki Gemelos as an Assistant Coach[12]
	Signed G Rebecca Allen[13]
May 7, 2021	Waived F Janelle Bailey[14]
May 11, 2021	Waived G Valerie Higgins[15]
May 12, 2021	Temporarily Suspend G Rebecca Allen, F Natasha Howard, and C Kiah Stokes due to Overseas Commitments[16]
	Full Season Suspend G Asia Durr
	Waive F Joyner Holmes[17]
May 13, 2021	Waive F Asia Taylor and G Jasmine Bailey[18]
	Full Season Suspend G Marine Johannès due to Overseas Commitments
May 14, 2021	Signed F Reshanda Gray to a Hardship Contract[19]
	Signed F Joyner Holmes to a Hardship Contract[20]
May 15, 2021	Activate G Rebecca Allen from Temporary Suspension List
	Released F Joyner Holmes from the Hardship Contract[21]
May 18, 2021	Activate C Kiah Stokes from Temporary Suspension List
	Released F Reshanda Gray from the Hardship Contract[22]
May 20, 2021	Waived G Layshia Clarendon[23]
May 22, 2021	Activate F Natasha Howard from Temporary Suspension List[24]
June 6, 2021	Suspend C Kiah Stokes due to Overseas Commitments[25]
June 7, 2021	Signed F Reshanda Gray to a Hardship Contract[26]
June 22, 2021	Release F Reshanda Gray to a Hardship Contract
	Activate C Kiah Stokes from Temporary Suspension
June 30, 2021	Waived C Kiah Stokes[27]
July 1, 2021	Signed F Reshanda Gray[28]

Game log

Preseason

|-| 1| May 3| @ Connecticut| colspan=4 | Scrimmage| Mohegan Sun Arena
0| 0–0|-| 2| May 11| Dallas| colspan=4 | Scrimmage| Barclays Center| 0–0

Regular season

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 1| May 14| Indiana| W 90–87| Betnijah Laney (30)| Sabrina Ionescu (6)| Sabrina Ionescu (11)| Barclays Center
1,139| 1–0|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 2| May 16| @ Indiana| W 73-65| Betnijah Laney (20)| Kylee Shook (7)| Laney
Whitcomb
Ionescu (4)| Bankers Life Fieldhouse
No Fans| 2–0|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 3| May 18| Minnesota| W 86–75| Sabrina Ionescu (26)| Sabrina Ionescu (10)| Sabrina Ionescu (12)| Barclays Center
815| 3–0|- style="background:#fcc;"| 4| May 21| @ Washington| L 72–101| Betnijah Laney (20)| Sami Whitcomb (7)| Ionescu
Laney (5)| Entertainment and Sports Arena
No Fans| 3–1|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 5| May 23| @ Chicago| W 93–85| Betnijah Laney (20)| Natasha Howard (7)| Sabrina Ionescu (12)| Wintrust Arena
1,332| 4–1|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 6| May 24| Dallas| W 88–81| Betnijah Laney (26)| Sabrina Ionescu (9)| DiDi Richards (5)| Barclays Center
894| 5–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 7| May 29| Atlanta| L 87–90| Michaela Onyenwere (29)| Laney
Stokes (6)| Betnijah Laney (11)| Barclays Center
1,235| 5–2|- style="background:#fcc;"| 8| June 3| Las Vegas| L 82–94| Betnijah Laney (23)| Kiah Stokes (13)| Sabrina Ionescu (9)| Barclays Center
1,389| 5–3|- style="background:#fcc;"| 9| June 5| @ Connecticut| L 64–85| Rebecca Allen (14)| Sami Whitcomb (5)| Betnijah Laney (6)| Mohegan Sun Arena
2,118| 5–4|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 10| June 13| @ Phoenix| W 85–83| Betnijah Laney (23)| Jones
Laney (7)| Betnijah Laney (10)| Phoenix Suns Arena
4,476| 6–4|- style="background:#fcc;"| 11| June 15| @ Las Vegas| L 78–100| Jazmine Jones (17)| Kylee Shook (9)| Betnijah Laney (6)| Michelob Ultra Arena
2,115| 6–5|- style="background:#fcc;"| 12| June 17| @ Las Vegas| L 76–103| Betnijah Laney (20)| Sami Whitcomb (6)| Sami Whitcomb (5)| Michelob Ultra Arena
No Fans| 6–6|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 13| June 20| @ Los Angeles| W 76–73| Rebecca Allen (19)| Sami Whitcomb (9)| Betnijah Laney (5)| Los Angeles Convention Center
731| 7–6|- style="background:#fcc;"| 14| June 22| Chicago| L 72–92| Betnijah Laney (18)| Sabrina Ionescu (8)| Sabrina Ionescu (7)| Barclays Center
1,419| 7–7|- style="background:#fcc;"| 15| June 24| Chicago| L 68–91| Michaela Onyenwere (16)| Kylee Shook (11)| Sabrina Ionescu (5)| Barclays Center
2,148| 7–8|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 16| June 26| @ Atlanta| W 101–78| Sami Whitcomb (30)| Kylee Shook (11)| Sabrina Ionescu (8)| Gateway Center Arena
1,605| 8–8|- style="background:#fcc;"| 17| June 29| @ Atlanta| L 69–73| Betnijah Laney (16)| Kylee Shook (8)| Betnijah Laney (7)| Gateway Center Arena
1,131| 8–9|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 18| July 3| Washington| W 82–79| Betnijah Laney (19)| Sami Whitcomb (9)| Sabrina Ionescu (5)| Barclays Center
1,615| 9–9|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 19| July 5| Dallas| W 99–96| Sami Whitcomb (26)| Kylee Shook (8)| Sabrina Ionescu (12)| Barclays Center
1,677| 10–9|- style="background:#fcc;"| 20| July 9| @ Indiana| L 69–82| Betnijah Laney (23)| Betnijah Laney (8)| Ionescu
Laney
Shook (4)| Indiana Farmers Coliseum
No Fans| 10–10|- style="background:#fcc;"| 21| July 11| Connecticut| L 54–71| Kylee Shook (16)| Ionescu
Whitcomb (7)| Ionescu
Richards
Whitcomb (3)| Barclays Center
| 10–11|- style="background:#fcc;"| 22| August 15| @ Minnesota| L 78–88| Natasha Howard (30)| Sabrina Ionescu (7)| Sabrina Ionescu (6)| Target Center
3,534| 10–12|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 23| August 18| Seattle| W 83–79| Allen
Laney (17)| Ionescu
Laney (7)| Betnijah Laney (8)| Barclays Center
2,103| 11–12|- style="background:#fcc;"| 24| August 20| Seattle| L 83–99| Sami Whitcomb (26)| Natasha Howard (13)| Sami Whitcomb (8)| Barclays Center
3,889| 11–13|- style="background:#fcc;"| 25| August 22| Los Angeles| L 83–86| Howard
Whitcomb (17)| Natasha Howard (11)| Betnijah Laney (9)| Barclays Center
N/A| 11–14|- style="background:#fcc;"| 26| August 25| Phoenix| L 79–106| Betnijah Laney (20)| Allen
Laney (8)| Sabrina Ionescu (7)| Barclays Center
1,872| 11–15|- style="background:#fcc;"| 27| August 27| Phoenix| L 64–80| Natasha Howard (18)| Sabrina Ionescu (10)| Sabrina Ionescu (9)| Barclays Center
2,315| 11–16|- style="background:#fcc;"| 28| August 31| @ Minnesota| L 66–74| Ionescu
Laney (17)| Michaela Onyenwere (10)| Sabrina Ionescu (6)| Target Center
3,221| 11–17|- style="background:#fcc;"| 29| September 2| @ Seattle| L 75–85| Sabrina Ionescu (20)| Betnijah Laney (7)| Sabrina Ionescu (7)| Angel of the Winds Arena
3,592| 11–18|- style="background:#fcc;"| 30| September 11| @ Dallas| L 76–77| Betnijah Laney (19)| Natasha Howard (11)| Ionescu
Laney (6)| College Park Center
2,888| 11–19|- style="background:#fcc;"| 31| September 15| @ Connecticut| L 69–98| Natasha Howard (25)| Natasha Howard (8)| Sabrina Ionescu (5)| Mohegan Sun Arena
4,012| 11–20|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 32| September 17| Washington| W 91–80| Natasha Howard (24)| Natasha Howard (10)| Betnijah Laney (11)| Barclays Center
3,615| 12–20

Playoffs

|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1| September 23| @ Phoenix| 82–83| Betnijah Laney (25)| Natasha Howard (10)| Sabrina Ionescu (11)| Grand Canyon University Arena
5,827| 0–1

Awards and honors

Recipient	Award	Date awarded	Ref.
Sabrina Ionescu	Eastern Conference Player of the Week	May 24	[29]
Betnijah Laney		June 1	[30]
Michaela Onyenwere	WNBA Rookie of the Month - May	June 2	[31]
Walt Hopkins	WNBA Coach of the Month - May	June 2	[32]
Michaela Onyenwere	WNBA Rookie of the Month - June	July 1	[33]
Betnijah Laney	WNBA All-Star Selection	June 30	[34]
Michaela Onyenwere	WNBA Rookie of the Month - August	September 2	[35]
Natasha Howard	Eastern Conference Player of the Week	September 20	[36]
Michaela Onyenwere	WNBA Rookie of the Month - September	September 22	[37]
	WNBA Rookie of the Year	October 5	[38]
DiDi Richards	WNBA All-Rookie Team	October 5	[39]
Michaela Onyenwere

Statistics

Source:^[40]

Regular Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Betnijah Laney	32	32	33.7	45.1	31.2	78.7	4.1	5.2	0.7	0.1	16.8
Natasha Howard	13	13	27.5	49.4	33.3	77.4	7.2	1.7	1.3	0.5	16.2
Sami Whitcomb	30	28	28.1	47.3	42.5	81.8	5.0	2.7	1.0	0.3	11.7
Sabrina Ionescu	30	26	30.0	37.9	32.5	91.1	5.7	6.1	0.6	0.5	11.7
Rebecca Allen	25	13	24.2	34.3	38.1	89.2	3.7	1.1	1.6	1.2	9.2
Michaela Onyenwere	32	29	22.5	39.9	32.7	83.6	2.9	0.6	0.4	0.3	8.6
Reshanda Gray	15	0	14.1	53.1	22.2	69.2	3.5	0.3	0.3	0.3	5.9
Jazmine Jones	27	0	16.6	35.6	38.3	76.1	2.4	1.1	0.5	0.4	5.9
Kylee Shook	30	19	18.9	46.7	39.3	80.0	4.0	1.4	0.3	0.5	5.7
Leaonna Odom	18	0	11.5	46.7	29.4	75.0	1.2	0.4	0.3	0.3	3.1
DiDi Richards	31	0	11.2	42.2	45.5	60.0	1.1	0.8	0.5	0.2	2.3
Jocelyn Willoughby	0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

External links

• The Official Site of the New York Liberty

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2021 New York Liberty Schedule. Women's National Basketball Association. April 29, 2021.
2. Web site: Liberty Sign Stokes To Contract Extension. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. September 13, 2020. June 3, 2021.
3. Web site: WNBA Transactions. wnba.com. WNBA. January 2, 2021. June 3, 2021.
4. Web site: WNBA Transactions. wnba.com. WNBA. January 3, 2021. June 3, 2021.
5. Web site: New York Liberty Signs WNBA’s 2020 Most Improved Player Betnijah Laney. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. February 2, 2021. April 29, 2021.
6. Web site: Rachel Galligan Tweet. twitter.com. Twitter. February 2, 2021. June 3, 2021.
7. Web site: New York Liberty Acquire Natasha Howard And Sami Whitcomb. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. February 10, 2021. April 29, 2021.
8. Web site: ASIA TAYLOR has signed in the WNBA with the New York Liberty. regeneracomsports.com. Regeneracomsports. April 15, 2021. June 3, 2021.
9. Web site: WNBA Transactions. wnba.com. WNBA. April 16, 2021. June 3, 2021.
10. Web site: WNBA Transactions. wnba.com. WNBA. April 19, 2021. June 3, 2021.
11. Web site: WNBA Transactions. wnba.com. WNBA. April 24, 2021. June 3, 2021.
12. Web site: Liberty Add Jacki Gemelos to 2021 Coaching Staff. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. April 26, 2021. April 29, 2021.
13. Web site: WNBA Transactions. wnba.com. WNBA. April 26, 2021. June 3, 2021.
14. Web site: New York Liberty Waive Janelle Bailey. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. May 7, 2021. June 3, 2021.
15. Web site: New York Liberty Waive Valerie Higgins. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. May 11, 2021. June 3, 2021.
16. Web site: WNBA Transactions. wnba.com. WNBA. May 12, 2021. June 3, 2021.
17. Web site: New York Liberty Waive Joyner Holmes. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. May 12, 2021. June 3, 2021.
18. Web site: New York Liberty Waive Asia Taylor and Jasmine Bailey. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. May 13, 2021. June 3, 2021.
19. Web site: New York Liberty Sign Reshanda Gray. liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. May 14, 2021. June 3, 2021.
20. Web site: New York Liberty Sign Joyner Holmes. oursportscentral.com. Our Sports Central. May 15, 2021. June 3, 2021.
21. Web site: Transactions – Player Movement. acrossthetimeline.com. Across the Timeline. May 15, 2021. June 3, 2021.
22. Web site: Transactions – Player Movement. acrossthetimeline.com. Across the Timeline. May 18, 2021. June 3, 2021.
23. Web site: Liberty waive nine-year WNBA veteran Layshia Clarendon. ESPN.com. ESPN. May 20, 2021. May 20, 2021.
24. Web site: Transactions – Player Movement. acrossthetimeline.com. Across the Timeline. May 22, 2021. June 3, 2021.
25. Web site: Transactions – Player Movement. acrossthetimeline.com. Across the Timeline. June 6, 2021. June 10, 2021.
26. Web site: Transactions – Player Movement. acrossthetimeline.com. Across the Timeline. June 7, 2021. June 10, 2021.
27. Web site: New York Liberty Waive Kiah Stokes. liberty.wnba.com. wnba.com. June 30, 2021. July 6, 2021.
28. Web site: New York Liberty Re-Sign Reshanda Gray. liberty.wnba.com. wnba.com. July 1, 2021. July 6, 2021.
29. Web site: Season 25 – Week 1: Players Of The Week. wnba.com. WNBA. May 24, 2021. May 24, 2021.
30. Web site: Betnijah Laney And Brittney Griner Named Week 2 Players of the Week. wnba.com. WNBA. June 1, 2021. June 1, 2021.
31. Web site: Kia WNBA Rookie of the Month – May: Michaela Onyenwere. wnba.com. WNBA. June 2, 2021. June 3, 2021.
32. Web site: WNBA Coach of the Month for May: Walt Hopkins, New York Liberty. wnba.com. WNBA. June 2, 2021. June 3, 2021.
33. Web site: Michaela Onyenwere Wins June Rookie Of The Month. wnba.com. WNBA. July 1, 2021. July 1, 2021.
34. Web site: Rosters Set for AT&T WNBA All-Star 2021 on July 14. wnba.com. WNBA. June 30, 2020. July 1, 2021.
35. Web site: Kia WNBA Rookie of the Month (August): Michaela Onyenwere. wnba.com. WNBA. September 2, 2021. September 2, 2021.
36. Web site: WNBA Players of the Week: Natasha Howard and Kelsey Plum. wnba.com. WNBA. September 20, 2021. September 22, 2021.
37. Web site: September Rookie of the Month: Michaela Onyenwere. wnba.com. WNBA. September 20, 2021. September 22, 2021.
38. Web site: New York Liberty’s Michaela Onyenwere Named 2021 Kia WNBA Rookie Of The Year. wnba.com. WNBA. October 5, 2021. October 6, 2021.
39. Web site: Sky Guard Dana Evans Named to 2021 WNBA All-Rookie Team. sky.wnba.com. WNBA. October 5, 2021. October 16, 2021.
40. Web site: Stats - New York Liberty. WNBA. liberty.wnba.com. October 8, 2021.