New York Liberty
Encyclopedia
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball
team based in New York City
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Madison Square Garden, who also owns the Liberty's NBA counterpart, the New York Knicks
.
The Liberty has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
in ten of its fourteen years in New York. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as guard Teresa Weatherspoon
, Becky Hammon
, University of Utah player Leilani Mitchell
, and Rutgers
player Cappie Pondexter
. In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002
, the Liberty went to the WNBA Finals
but fell short the first three attempts to Houston
and in 2002 to Los Angeles
. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship.
Due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
, the Liberty will play at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
from 2011 through 2013.
The adage "always the bridesmaid, never the bride," could be used to describe the Liberty. When the WNBA opened in 1997, the Liberty was one of the first teams to choose a player, and they signed college superstar Rebecca Lobo
(University of Connecticut
) to a contract. Lobo was a starter for two seasons but was injured in 1999, and her injuries eventually led to her retirement several seasons later. Point guard
Teresa Weatherspoon
emerged as a star and the Liberty made it to the 1997 championship game, where the team lost to the Houston Comets
. In 1999, they returned to the WNBA Finals, where they again faced Comets. In Game 2, Teresa Weatherspoon's halfcourt shot at the buzzer gave the Liberty a one point road win that tied the series. However, the Liberty lost the third game of the series and the Comets became champions for a third straight time.
The Liberty subsequently returned to the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost once again to the Comets and to the Los Angeles Sparks
, respectively. In 2001, Weatherspoon became the WNBA's all-time assist leader, and Sue Wicks
, once a back-up to Lobo at forward, also proved to be a valuable player, making the All-Star game. 1998, 2003, 2006, and recently 2009 were the only years the Liberty failed to make the playoffs.
emerged as a star player. The 2004 season saw Hammon replacing Weatherspoon at the team's starting point guard spot.
Six games during the 2004 season were moved to Radio City Music Hall
as Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention
. These games marked the first time Radio City had hosted a professional sporting event since the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match held in 1999.
With team leader Tari Phillips
being signed to the Houston Comets, Ann Wauters
emerged as a force at the team's starting center position in 2005. However, she was injured midway through the season. The loss of Wauters was felt as the team was swept two games to none by the Indiana Fever
in the first round of the playoffs.
At the beginning of the 2007 WNBA season, the team traded Becky Hammon
to the San Antonio Silver Stars
for Jessica Davenport
, a first round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft
. They also acquired center Janel McCarville
through the dispersal draft associated with the dissolution of the Charlotte Sting
. The 2007 Liberty started out 5–0, then lost 7 straight games, then rallied at the end of the season to get the last playoff spot by winning 3 out of their last 4 games, beating the Washington Mystics
on the tiebreaker of head-to-head record. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Liberty, as huge underdogs, faced the defending champion Detroit Shock
in a best-of-three series. The Liberty defeated the Shock by winning Game 1 in New York. In Games 2 and 3 the Liberty lost both games to the Shock in Detroit, 76–73 and 71–70 (OT) respectively.
forward Erlana Larkins, and signed former University of Utah
point guard Leilani Mitchell
during the preseason. Although they had the youngest average age of any WNBA team, the Liberty managed to win 19 regular season games in 2008, to defeat the Connecticut Sun
in the first round of playoff action, and to come within two points of defeating the Detroit Shock
in the third and last game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, the Detroit series entailed a Liberty victory at home in Game 1, followed by narrow defeats away in Games 2 and 3. The 2008 season also featured the "Liberty Outdoor Classic
", the first ever professional regular season basketball
game to be played outdoors, on July 19 at Arthur Ashe Stadium
of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Indiana Fever
defeated the Liberty in the Outdoor Classic.
The Liberty were originally scheduled to be displaced from their usual home court due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
beginning in 2009. The renovation plans were delayed and the Liberty played at the Garden in 2009 and 2010. The renovation has been rescheduled, so the Liberty will play in the Prudential Center in Newark
in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
In the 2009 WNBA Draft
, the Liberty selected local favorite Kia Vaughn
from Rutgers. With a solid core group, the Liberty looked to be a contender in the East yet again.
In the 2009 season, however, they never proved to be a contender. During 2009 , the team fired head coach Pat Coyle, which led to the hiring of then-Liberty assistant coach Anne Donovan
to take the interim tag. Even with her coaching New York, the franchise continued to struggle, finishing 13–21, their second worst record in franchise history.
(formerly of the Phoenix Mercury
) and the 2010 Most Improved Player Award
winner Leilani Mitchell, the team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Atlanta Dream.
The team had high hopes for 2011 after the hiring of former WNBA champion
head coach John Whisenant
. Pondexter and Plenette Pierson
, along with improved play from Kia Vaughn
, allowed New York to be competitive early in the season. The team had difficulty getting used to the Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey
) which would be their home floor until 2013 while renovations at Madison Square Garden
were completed. The team went into the All-Star break
in third place in the Eastern Conference.
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty statistics
|- valign="top"
|
|-
|
|-
|
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball
team based in New York City
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Madison Square Garden, who also owns the Liberty's NBA counterpart, the New York Knicks
.
The Liberty has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
in ten of its fourteen years in New York. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as guard Teresa Weatherspoon
, Becky Hammon
, University of Utah player Leilani Mitchell
, and Rutgers
player Cappie Pondexter
. In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002
, the Liberty went to the WNBA Finals
but fell short the first three attempts to Houston
and in 2002 to Los Angeles
. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship.
Due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
, the Liberty will play at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
from 2011 through 2013.
The adage "always the bridesmaid, never the bride," could be used to describe the Liberty. When the WNBA opened in 1997, the Liberty was one of the first teams to choose a player, and they signed college superstar Rebecca Lobo
(University of Connecticut
) to a contract. Lobo was a starter for two seasons but was injured in 1999, and her injuries eventually led to her retirement several seasons later. Point guard
Teresa Weatherspoon
emerged as a star and the Liberty made it to the 1997 championship game, where the team lost to the Houston Comets
. In 1999, they returned to the WNBA Finals, where they again faced Comets. In Game 2, Teresa Weatherspoon's halfcourt shot at the buzzer gave the Liberty a one point road win that tied the series. However, the Liberty lost the third game of the series and the Comets became champions for a third straight time.
The Liberty subsequently returned to the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost once again to the Comets and to the Los Angeles Sparks
, respectively. In 2001, Weatherspoon became the WNBA's all-time assist leader, and Sue Wicks
, once a back-up to Lobo at forward, also proved to be a valuable player, making the All-Star game. 1998, 2003, 2006, and recently 2009 were the only years the Liberty failed to make the playoffs.
emerged as a star player. The 2004 season saw Hammon replacing Weatherspoon at the team's starting point guard spot.
Six games during the 2004 season were moved to Radio City Music Hall
as Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention
. These games marked the first time Radio City had hosted a professional sporting event since the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match held in 1999.
With team leader Tari Phillips
being signed to the Houston Comets, Ann Wauters
emerged as a force at the team's starting center position in 2005. However, she was injured midway through the season. The loss of Wauters was felt as the team was swept two games to none by the Indiana Fever
in the first round of the playoffs.
At the beginning of the 2007 WNBA season, the team traded Becky Hammon
to the San Antonio Silver Stars
for Jessica Davenport
, a first round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft
. They also acquired center Janel McCarville
through the dispersal draft associated with the dissolution of the Charlotte Sting
. The 2007 Liberty started out 5–0, then lost 7 straight games, then rallied at the end of the season to get the last playoff spot by winning 3 out of their last 4 games, beating the Washington Mystics
on the tiebreaker of head-to-head record. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Liberty, as huge underdogs, faced the defending champion Detroit Shock
in a best-of-three series. The Liberty defeated the Shock by winning Game 1 in New York. In Games 2 and 3 the Liberty lost both games to the Shock in Detroit, 76–73 and 71–70 (OT) respectively.
forward Erlana Larkins, and signed former University of Utah
point guard Leilani Mitchell
during the preseason. Although they had the youngest average age of any WNBA team, the Liberty managed to win 19 regular season games in 2008, to defeat the Connecticut Sun
in the first round of playoff action, and to come within two points of defeating the Detroit Shock
in the third and last game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, the Detroit series entailed a Liberty victory at home in Game 1, followed by narrow defeats away in Games 2 and 3. The 2008 season also featured the "Liberty Outdoor Classic
", the first ever professional regular season basketball
game to be played outdoors, on July 19 at Arthur Ashe Stadium
of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Indiana Fever
defeated the Liberty in the Outdoor Classic.
The Liberty were originally scheduled to be displaced from their usual home court due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
beginning in 2009. The renovation plans were delayed and the Liberty played at the Garden in 2009 and 2010. The renovation has been rescheduled, so the Liberty will play in the Prudential Center in Newark
in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
In the 2009 WNBA Draft
, the Liberty selected local favorite Kia Vaughn
from Rutgers. With a solid core group, the Liberty looked to be a contender in the East yet again.
In the 2009 season, however, they never proved to be a contender. During 2009 , the team fired head coach Pat Coyle, which led to the hiring of then-Liberty assistant coach Anne Donovan
to take the interim tag. Even with her coaching New York, the franchise continued to struggle, finishing 13–21, their second worst record in franchise history.
(formerly of the Phoenix Mercury
) and the 2010 Most Improved Player Award
winner Leilani Mitchell, the team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Atlanta Dream.
The team had high hopes for 2011 after the hiring of former WNBA champion
head coach John Whisenant
. Pondexter and Plenette Pierson
, along with improved play from Kia Vaughn
, allowed New York to be competitive early in the season. The team had difficulty getting used to the Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey
) which would be their home floor until 2013 while renovations at Madison Square Garden
were completed. The team went into the All-Star break
in third place in the Eastern Conference.
|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#0047AB " | New York Liberty
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1997
| 1997
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 17
| 11
| .607
| Won WNBA Semifinals (Phoenix
, 1–0)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
, 0–1)
| Nancy Darsch
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1998
| 1998
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 18
| 12
| .600
| Did not qualify
| Nancy Darsch
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1999
| 1999
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 1st
| 18
| 14
| .563
| Received a bye for the Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals (Charlotte
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
, 1–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2000
| 2000
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 1st
| 20
| 12
| .625
| Won Conference Semifinals (Washington
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Cleveland
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2001
| 2001
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 21
| 11
| .656
| Won Conference Semifinals (Miami
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Charlotte
, 1–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2002
| 2002
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 1st
| 18
| 14
| .563
| Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 2–1)
Won Conference Finals (Washington
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Los Angeles
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2003
| 2003
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 6th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2004
| 2004
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Won Conference Semifinals (Detroit
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Connecticut
, 0–2)
| R. Adubato
(7–9)
P. Coyle (11–7)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2005
| 2005
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 0–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2006
| 2006
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 11
| 23
| .324
| Did not qualify
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2007
| 2007
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit
, 1–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
| 2008
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Detroit
, 1–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
| 2009
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 7th
| 13
| 21
| .382
| Did not qualify
| P. Coyle (6–11)
A. Donovan
(7–10)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
| 2010
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 22
| 12
| .647
| Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Atlanta
, 0–2)
| Anne Donovan
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
| 2011
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 1–2)
| John Whisenant
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 264
|style="background:#eee;"| 228
|style="background:#eee;"| .537
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 3 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 24
|style="background:#eee;"| 29
|style="background:#eee;"| .453
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Nancy Darsch
|| April 29, 1997 || September 11, 1998 || 2 || width="5%"|35 || width="5%"|23 || width="5%"|.603 || width="5%"|58 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Richie Adubato
|| December 6, 1998 || July 3, 2004 || 5 || width="5%"|100 || width="5%"|78 || width="5%"|.562 || width="5%"|178 ||width="5%"|14 || width="5%"|13 || width="5%"|.519 || width="5%"|27
|-
| Pat Coyle || July 3, 2004 || July 31, 2009 || 5 || width="5%"|81 || width="5%"|90 || width="5%"|.474 || width="5%"|171 ||width="5%"|6 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|.375 || width="5%"|16
|-
| Anne Donovan
|| July 31, 2009 || end of 2010
|| 2 || width="5%"|29 || width="5%"|22 || width="5%"|.567 || width="5%"|51 ||width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|3 || width="5%"|.400 || width="5%"|5
|-
| John Whisenant
|| October 12, 2010 || Current || 1 || width="5%"|19 || width="5%"|15 || width="5%"|.559 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.333 || width="5%"|3
|}
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty statistics
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 1997
| S. Witherspoon
(14.5)
| R. Lobo
(7.3)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.1)
| 68.3 vs 65.9
| 32.9 vs 33.3
| .412 vs .391
|-
| 1998
| S. Witherspoon
(13.8)
| R. Lobo
(6.9)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.4)
| 68.6 vs 65.5
| 31.5 vs 29.7
| .425 vs .419
|-
| 1999
| V. Johnson
(13.3)
| S. Wicks
(7.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.4)
| 67.8 vs 65.3
| 29.5 vs 30.7
| .418 vs .412
|}
|-
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2000
| T. Phillips
(13.8)
| T. Phillips
(8.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.4)
| 67.1 vs 63.6
| 29.4 vs 30.2
| .436 vs .407
|-
| 2001
| T. Phillips
(15.3)
| T. Phillips
(8.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.3)
| 67.6 vs 65.1
| 28.6 vs 30.7
| .456 vs .423
|-
| 2002
| T. Phillips
(14.1)
| T. Phillips
(7.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
(5.7)
| 65.3 vs 63.0
| 27.2 vs 30.0
| .444 vs .399
|-
| 2003
| B. Hammon
(14.7)
| T. Phillips
(8.5)
| T. Weatherspoon
(4.4)
| 66.0 vs 66.4
| 28.1 vs 31.2
| .429 vs .419
|-
| 2004
| B. Hammon
(13.5)
| E. Baranova
(7.2)
| B. Hammon
(4.4)
| 66.2 vs 67.6
| 29.5 vs 32.4
| .424 vs .414
|-
| 2005
| B. Hammon
(13.9)
| E. Baranova
(6.9)
| B. Hammon
(4.3)
| 68.1 vs 67.2
| 28.6 vs 30.3
| .445 vs .427
|-
| 2006
| B. Hammon
(14.7)
| K. Schumacher
(5.5)
| B. Hammon
(3.7)
| 69.8 vs 78.2
| 30.0 vs 34.5
| .397 vs .449
|-
| 2007
| S. Christon
(11.2)
| J. McCarville
(4.8)
| L. Moore
(4.8)
| 71.0 vs 73.6
| 31.6 vs 35.7
| .417 vs .414
|-
| 2008
| S. Christon
(15.7)
| C. Kraayeveld
(6.1)
| L. Moore
(4.6)
| 75.7 vs 74.6
| 32.5 vs 34.6
| .421 vs .427
|-
| 2009
| S. Christon
(16.1)
| J. McCarville
(5.5)
| L. Moore
(3.9)
| 73.9 vs 74.6
| 31.8 vs 35.4
| .415 vs .420
|}
|-
|
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball
team based in New York City
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Madison Square Garden, who also owns the Liberty's NBA counterpart, the New York Knicks
.
The Liberty has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
in ten of its fourteen years in New York. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as guard Teresa Weatherspoon
, Becky Hammon
, University of Utah player Leilani Mitchell
, and Rutgers
player Cappie Pondexter
. In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002
, the Liberty went to the WNBA Finals
but fell short the first three attempts to Houston
and in 2002 to Los Angeles
. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship.
Due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
, the Liberty will play at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
from 2011 through 2013.
The adage "always the bridesmaid, never the bride," could be used to describe the Liberty. When the WNBA opened in 1997, the Liberty was one of the first teams to choose a player, and they signed college superstar Rebecca Lobo
(University of Connecticut
) to a contract. Lobo was a starter for two seasons but was injured in 1999, and her injuries eventually led to her retirement several seasons later. Point guard
Teresa Weatherspoon
emerged as a star and the Liberty made it to the 1997 championship game, where the team lost to the Houston Comets
. In 1999, they returned to the WNBA Finals, where they again faced Comets. In Game 2, Teresa Weatherspoon's halfcourt shot at the buzzer gave the Liberty a one point road win that tied the series. However, the Liberty lost the third game of the series and the Comets became champions for a third straight time.
The Liberty subsequently returned to the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost once again to the Comets and to the Los Angeles Sparks
, respectively. In 2001, Weatherspoon became the WNBA's all-time assist leader, and Sue Wicks
, once a back-up to Lobo at forward, also proved to be a valuable player, making the All-Star game. 1998, 2003, 2006, and recently 2009 were the only years the Liberty failed to make the playoffs.
emerged as a star player. The 2004 season saw Hammon replacing Weatherspoon at the team's starting point guard spot.
Six games during the 2004 season were moved to Radio City Music Hall
as Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention
. These games marked the first time Radio City had hosted a professional sporting event since the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match held in 1999.
With team leader Tari Phillips
being signed to the Houston Comets, Ann Wauters
emerged as a force at the team's starting center position in 2005. However, she was injured midway through the season. The loss of Wauters was felt as the team was swept two games to none by the Indiana Fever
in the first round of the playoffs.
At the beginning of the 2007 WNBA season, the team traded Becky Hammon
to the San Antonio Silver Stars
for Jessica Davenport
, a first round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft
. They also acquired center Janel McCarville
through the dispersal draft associated with the dissolution of the Charlotte Sting
. The 2007 Liberty started out 5–0, then lost 7 straight games, then rallied at the end of the season to get the last playoff spot by winning 3 out of their last 4 games, beating the Washington Mystics
on the tiebreaker of head-to-head record. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Liberty, as huge underdogs, faced the defending champion Detroit Shock
in a best-of-three series. The Liberty defeated the Shock by winning Game 1 in New York. In Games 2 and 3 the Liberty lost both games to the Shock in Detroit, 76–73 and 71–70 (OT) respectively.
forward Erlana Larkins, and signed former University of Utah
point guard Leilani Mitchell
during the preseason. Although they had the youngest average age of any WNBA team, the Liberty managed to win 19 regular season games in 2008, to defeat the Connecticut Sun
in the first round of playoff action, and to come within two points of defeating the Detroit Shock
in the third and last game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, the Detroit series entailed a Liberty victory at home in Game 1, followed by narrow defeats away in Games 2 and 3. The 2008 season also featured the "Liberty Outdoor Classic
", the first ever professional regular season basketball
game to be played outdoors, on July 19 at Arthur Ashe Stadium
of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Indiana Fever
defeated the Liberty in the Outdoor Classic.
The Liberty were originally scheduled to be displaced from their usual home court due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
beginning in 2009. The renovation plans were delayed and the Liberty played at the Garden in 2009 and 2010. The renovation has been rescheduled, so the Liberty will play in the Prudential Center in Newark
in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
In the 2009 WNBA Draft
, the Liberty selected local favorite Kia Vaughn
from Rutgers. With a solid core group, the Liberty looked to be a contender in the East yet again.
In the 2009 season, however, they never proved to be a contender. During 2009 , the team fired head coach Pat Coyle, which led to the hiring of then-Liberty assistant coach Anne Donovan
to take the interim tag. Even with her coaching New York, the franchise continued to struggle, finishing 13–21, their second worst record in franchise history.
(formerly of the Phoenix Mercury
) and the 2010 Most Improved Player Award
winner Leilani Mitchell, the team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Atlanta Dream.
The team had high hopes for 2011 after the hiring of former WNBA champion
head coach John Whisenant
. Pondexter and Plenette Pierson
, along with improved play from Kia Vaughn
, allowed New York to be competitive early in the season. The team had difficulty getting used to the Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey
) which would be their home floor until 2013 while renovations at Madison Square Garden
were completed. The team went into the All-Star break
in third place in the Eastern Conference.
|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#0047AB " | New York Liberty
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1997
| 1997
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 17
| 11
| .607
| Won WNBA Semifinals (Phoenix
, 1–0)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
, 0–1)
| Nancy Darsch
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1998
| 1998
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 18
| 12
| .600
| Did not qualify
| Nancy Darsch
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1999
| 1999
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 1st
| 18
| 14
| .563
| Received a bye for the Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals (Charlotte
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
, 1–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2000
| 2000
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 1st
| 20
| 12
| .625
| Won Conference Semifinals (Washington
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Cleveland
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2001
| 2001
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 21
| 11
| .656
| Won Conference Semifinals (Miami
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Charlotte
, 1–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2002
| 2002
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 1st
| 18
| 14
| .563
| Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 2–1)
Won Conference Finals (Washington
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Los Angeles
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2003
| 2003
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 6th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2004
| 2004
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Won Conference Semifinals (Detroit
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Connecticut
, 0–2)
| R. Adubato
(7–9)
P. Coyle (11–7)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2005
| 2005
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 0–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2006
| 2006
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 11
| 23
| .324
| Did not qualify
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2007
| 2007
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit
, 1–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
| 2008
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Detroit
, 1–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
| 2009
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 7th
| 13
| 21
| .382
| Did not qualify
| P. Coyle (6–11)
A. Donovan
(7–10)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
| 2010
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 22
| 12
| .647
| Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Atlanta
, 0–2)
| Anne Donovan
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
| 2011
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 1–2)
| John Whisenant
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 264
|style="background:#eee;"| 228
|style="background:#eee;"| .537
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 3 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 24
|style="background:#eee;"| 29
|style="background:#eee;"| .453
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Nancy Darsch
|| April 29, 1997 || September 11, 1998 || 2 || width="5%"|35 || width="5%"|23 || width="5%"|.603 || width="5%"|58 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Richie Adubato
|| December 6, 1998 || July 3, 2004 || 5 || width="5%"|100 || width="5%"|78 || width="5%"|.562 || width="5%"|178 ||width="5%"|14 || width="5%"|13 || width="5%"|.519 || width="5%"|27
|-
| Pat Coyle || July 3, 2004 || July 31, 2009 || 5 || width="5%"|81 || width="5%"|90 || width="5%"|.474 || width="5%"|171 ||width="5%"|6 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|.375 || width="5%"|16
|-
| Anne Donovan
|| July 31, 2009 || end of 2010
|| 2 || width="5%"|29 || width="5%"|22 || width="5%"|.567 || width="5%"|51 ||width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|3 || width="5%"|.400 || width="5%"|5
|-
| John Whisenant
|| October 12, 2010 || Current || 1 || width="5%"|19 || width="5%"|15 || width="5%"|.559 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.333 || width="5%"|3
|}
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty statistics
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 1997
| S. Witherspoon
(14.5)
| R. Lobo
(7.3)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.1)
| 68.3 vs 65.9
| 32.9 vs 33.3
| .412 vs .391
|-
| 1998
| S. Witherspoon
(13.8)
| R. Lobo
(6.9)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.4)
| 68.6 vs 65.5
| 31.5 vs 29.7
| .425 vs .419
|-
| 1999
| V. Johnson
(13.3)
| S. Wicks
(7.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.4)
| 67.8 vs 65.3
| 29.5 vs 30.7
| .418 vs .412
|}
|-
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2000
| T. Phillips
(13.8)
| T. Phillips
(8.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.4)
| 67.1 vs 63.6
| 29.4 vs 30.2
| .436 vs .407
|-
| 2001
| T. Phillips
(15.3)
| T. Phillips
(8.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
(6.3)
| 67.6 vs 65.1
| 28.6 vs 30.7
| .456 vs .423
|-
| 2002
| T. Phillips
(14.1)
| T. Phillips
(7.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
(5.7)
| 65.3 vs 63.0
| 27.2 vs 30.0
| .444 vs .399
|-
| 2003
| B. Hammon
(14.7)
| T. Phillips
(8.5)
| T. Weatherspoon
(4.4)
| 66.0 vs 66.4
| 28.1 vs 31.2
| .429 vs .419
|-
| 2004
| B. Hammon
(13.5)
| E. Baranova
(7.2)
| B. Hammon
(4.4)
| 66.2 vs 67.6
| 29.5 vs 32.4
| .424 vs .414
|-
| 2005
| B. Hammon
(13.9)
| E. Baranova
(6.9)
| B. Hammon
(4.3)
| 68.1 vs 67.2
| 28.6 vs 30.3
| .445 vs .427
|-
| 2006
| B. Hammon
(14.7)
| K. Schumacher
(5.5)
| B. Hammon
(3.7)
| 69.8 vs 78.2
| 30.0 vs 34.5
| .397 vs .449
|-
| 2007
| S. Christon
(11.2)
| J. McCarville
(4.8)
| L. Moore
(4.8)
| 71.0 vs 73.6
| 31.6 vs 35.7
| .417 vs .414
|-
| 2008
| S. Christon
(15.7)
| C. Kraayeveld
(6.1)
| L. Moore
(4.6)
| 75.7 vs 74.6
| 32.5 vs 34.6
| .421 vs .427
|-
| 2009
| S. Christon
(16.1)
| J. McCarville
(5.5)
| L. Moore
(3.9)
| 73.9 vs 74.6
| 31.8 vs 35.4
| .415 vs .420
|}
|-
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2010
| C. Pondexter
(21.4)
| J. McCarville
(5.9)
| C. Pondexter
(4.9)
| 79.2 vs 76.0
| 31.2 vs 32.0
| .453 vs .436
|-
| 2011
| C. Pondexter
(17.4)
| K. Vaughn
(6.7)
| C. Pondexter
(4.7)
| 76.0 vs 74.8
| 32.8 vs 32.4
| .433 vs .429
|}
|}
(MSG), which is a local television station for the area of New York City
. More often than not, NBA TV
will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Liberty games are Mike Crispino
and Mary Murphy.
All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Liberty games are broadcast nationally on ESPN
, ESPN2 and ABC
. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN
, which will pay right fees to the Liberty, as well as other teams in the league.
{| class="toccolours" width=70% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | Regular season all-time attendance
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|- align="center" style="background:#eee;color:#000000;"
|width=75 |Year
|width=150|Average
|width=100|High
|width=100|Low
|width=75 |Sellouts
|width=150|Total for year
|width=150|WNBA game average
|- align="center"
| 1997 || 13,270 (2nd) || 18,051 || 8,554 || 0 || 185,786 || 9,669
|- align="center"
| 1998 || 14,935 (2nd) || 19,563 || 11,276 || 1 || 224,024 || 10,869
|- align="center"
| 1999 || 13,797 (2nd) || 16,782 || 10,940 || 0 || 220,748 || 10,207
|- align="center"
| 2000 || 14,498 (2nd) || 19,563 || 11,257 || 1 || 231,962 || 9,074
|- align="center"
| 2001 || 15,671 (1st) || 18,213 || 12,262 || 0 || 250,735 || 9,075
|- align="center"
| 2002 || 14,670 (2nd) || 19,563 || 12,037 || 1 || 234,717 || 9,228
|- align="center"
| 2003 || 12,491 (2nd) || 15,424 || 10,711 || 0 || 212,346 || 8,800
|- align="center"
| 2004 || 9,629 (3rd) || 15,698 || 5,945 || 0 || 163,686 || 8,613
|- align="center"
| 2005 || 10,145 (1st) || 12,543 || 7,897 || 0 || 172,471 || 8,172
|- align="center"
| 2006 || 9,120 (2nd) || 14,070 || 7,751 || 0 || 155,048 || 7,476
|- align="center"
| 2007 || 8,677 (2nd) || 11,341 || 6,267 || 0 || 147,506 || 7,742
|- align="center"
| 2008 || 9,045 (4th) || 19,393 || 6,928 || 0 || 153,772 || 7,948
|- align="center"
| 2009 || 9,800 (3rd) || 15,667 || 8,018 || 0 || 166,604 || 8,039
|- align="center"
| 2010 || 11,069 (1st) || 18,162 || 7,537 || 0 || 188,173 || 7,834
|- align="center"
| 2011 || 7,702 (8th) || 14,314 || 5,725 || 0 || 130,936 || 7,954
|}
|}
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Madison Square Garden, who also owns the Liberty's NBA counterpart, the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
The Liberty has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in ten of its fourteen years in New York. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as guard Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
, Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
, University of Utah player Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell is an American basketball player in the WNBA for the New York Liberty.Mitchell was born to an American father, Dennis Mitchell, and an Australian mother of Asian descent , Eleanor Majid...
, and Rutgers
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
player Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
. In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002
2002 WNBA Finals
The 2002 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2002 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Los Angeles Sparks, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the New York Liberty, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to none in a...
, the Liberty went to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
but fell short the first three attempts to Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
and in 2002 to Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship.
Due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, the Liberty will play at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
from 2011 through 2013.
Early success (1997–2002)
Prior to the team's first season, to avoid potential trademark infringement, the team purchased the trademarks of the defunct Liberty Basketball Association.The adage "always the bridesmaid, never the bride," could be used to describe the Liberty. When the WNBA opened in 1997, the Liberty was one of the first teams to choose a player, and they signed college superstar Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
) to a contract. Lobo was a starter for two seasons but was injured in 1999, and her injuries eventually led to her retirement several seasons later. Point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
emerged as a star and the Liberty made it to the 1997 championship game, where the team lost to the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
. In 1999, they returned to the WNBA Finals, where they again faced Comets. In Game 2, Teresa Weatherspoon's halfcourt shot at the buzzer gave the Liberty a one point road win that tied the series. However, the Liberty lost the third game of the series and the Comets became champions for a third straight time.
The Liberty subsequently returned to the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost once again to the Comets and to the Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
, respectively. In 2001, Weatherspoon became the WNBA's all-time assist leader, and Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
, once a back-up to Lobo at forward, also proved to be a valuable player, making the All-Star game. 1998, 2003, 2006, and recently 2009 were the only years the Liberty failed to make the playoffs.
Post-Weatherspoon (2003–2005)
2003 marked a transition for the Liberty, with team leader Teresa Weatherspoon's WNBA career winding down, fan favorite Becky HammonBecky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
emerged as a star player. The 2004 season saw Hammon replacing Weatherspoon at the team's starting point guard spot.
Six games during the 2004 season were moved to Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
as Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
. These games marked the first time Radio City had hosted a professional sporting event since the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match held in 1999.
With team leader Tari Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
being signed to the Houston Comets, Ann Wauters
Ann Wauters
Ann Hilde Willy Wauters is a Belgian professional basketball player who currently plays for Ros Casares Valencia in Euroleague Women. Wauters played in the WNBA from 2000 to 2009, most recently with the San Antonio Silver Stars. Her primary position is center.-Personal:Wauters began playing...
emerged as a force at the team's starting center position in 2005. However, she was injured midway through the season. The loss of Wauters was felt as the team was swept two games to none by the Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
in the first round of the playoffs.
Transition seasons (2006–2007)
The Liberty saw a poor 2006 season, winning only 11 games, the worst in franchise history.At the beginning of the 2007 WNBA season, the team traded Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
to the San Antonio Silver Stars
San Antonio Silver Stars
The San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio...
for Jessica Davenport
Jessica Davenport
Jessica Davenport, born June 24, 1985, is a reserve center for the WNBA's Indiana Fever. She previously played for The Ohio State University's women's basketball team.-High school:...
, a first round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft
2007 WNBA Draft
The 2007 WNBA Draft was the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league....
. They also acquired center Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...
through the dispersal draft associated with the dissolution of the Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
. The 2007 Liberty started out 5–0, then lost 7 straight games, then rallied at the end of the season to get the last playoff spot by winning 3 out of their last 4 games, beating the Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
on the tiebreaker of head-to-head record. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Liberty, as huge underdogs, faced the defending champion Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in a best-of-three series. The Liberty defeated the Shock by winning Game 1 in New York. In Games 2 and 3 the Liberty lost both games to the Shock in Detroit, 76–73 and 71–70 (OT) respectively.
Decline (2008–2009)
In 2008, the Liberty drafted former Rutgers shooting guard Essence Carson and former University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
forward Erlana Larkins, and signed former University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
point guard Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell is an American basketball player in the WNBA for the New York Liberty.Mitchell was born to an American father, Dennis Mitchell, and an Australian mother of Asian descent , Eleanor Majid...
during the preseason. Although they had the youngest average age of any WNBA team, the Liberty managed to win 19 regular season games in 2008, to defeat the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
in the first round of playoff action, and to come within two points of defeating the Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in the third and last game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, the Detroit series entailed a Liberty victory at home in Game 1, followed by narrow defeats away in Games 2 and 3. The 2008 season also featured the "Liberty Outdoor Classic
Liberty Outdoor Classic
The Liberty Outdoor Classic was the first regular-season professional basketball game played outdoors. It was played between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York on July 19, 2008 with the Fever winning the game, 71-55...
", the first ever professional regular season basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game to be played outdoors, on July 19 at Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium, a part of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center located within Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens, is the main tennis stadium of the US Open, the last of each year's four Grand Slam tournaments, and also where the annual Arthur Ashe...
of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
defeated the Liberty in the Outdoor Classic.
The Liberty were originally scheduled to be displaced from their usual home court due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
beginning in 2009. The renovation plans were delayed and the Liberty played at the Garden in 2009 and 2010. The renovation has been rescheduled, so the Liberty will play in the Prudential Center in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
In the 2009 WNBA Draft
2009 WNBA Draft
The 2009 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2009. The first round was shown on ESPN2 at 3:00pm ET, while the second and third rounds were shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at...
, the Liberty selected local favorite Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn is a professional women's basketball player for the WNBA's New York Liberty. She attended high school at St. Michael's All Girls High School in New York, and later went on to star at Rutgers University....
from Rutgers. With a solid core group, the Liberty looked to be a contender in the East yet again.
In the 2009 season, however, they never proved to be a contender. During 2009 , the team fired head coach Pat Coyle, which led to the hiring of then-Liberty assistant coach Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
to take the interim tag. Even with her coaching New York, the franchise continued to struggle, finishing 13–21, their second worst record in franchise history.
The Cappie Pondexter era (2010–present)
They fared far better in 2010, during Donovan's first and only full season as head coach. Led by newly signed high scorer Cappie PondexterCappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
(formerly of the Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
) and the 2010 Most Improved Player Award
WNBA Most Improved Player Award
The Women's National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the 2000 WNBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States,...
winner Leilani Mitchell, the team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Atlanta Dream.
The team had high hopes for 2011 after the hiring of former WNBA champion
2005 WNBA Finals
The 2005 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Sacramento Monarchs, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Connecticut Sun, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, three games to one in a...
head coach John Whisenant
John Whisenant
John Whisenant is currently head coach for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association . He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. degree in physical education from New Mexico State University and earned an M.A. in history from Pittsburg State University.-Career:Whisenant's nickname...
. Pondexter and Plenette Pierson
Plenette Pierson
Plenette Pierson is a professional WNBA player for the New York Liberty. In the 2007 season, Pierson won the first ever Sixth Woman of the Year Award given in the WNBA.-College:...
, along with improved play from Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn is a professional women's basketball player for the WNBA's New York Liberty. She attended high school at St. Michael's All Girls High School in New York, and later went on to star at Rutgers University....
, allowed New York to be competitive early in the season. The team had difficulty getting used to the Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
) which would be their home floor until 2013 while renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
were completed. The team went into the All-Star break
2011 WNBA All-Star Game
The 2011 WNBA All-Star Game was played on July 23, 2011 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, home of the San Antonio Silver Stars. The game was the 10th WNBA All-Star Game, which has been held annually since 1999 except in 2004, 2008, and 2010...
in third place in the Eastern Conference.
Uniforms
- 1997–2002: white with a black line above the shoulders at home, black with a green line on the road.
- 2003–2010: white with teal, blue and orange trim and "Liberty" on the chest in light blue letters at home. Primary color is blue on the road with "New York" on the chest in white letters. The Liberty logo is on the left leg of the shorts.
- 2010: On June 2, 2010, the New York Liberty and Foxwoods Resort CasinoFoxwoods Resort CasinoFoxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel-casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. Together with the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, it is one of the largest casino complexes in the world in terms of floor space for gaming. The entire resort comprises of space. The casino has over 380 gaming tables...
announced a premier partnership that includes a branded jersey sponsorship. As part of the partnership, the Foxwoods name will appear in front of the Liberty jerseys. - 2011–present: As part of the transition to AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
' Revolution 30 technology, the Liberty unveiled new jerseys. Home jerseys are white with seafoam green numbers and blue trim. Road uniforms are blue with seafoam green numbers and white trim. The Foxwoods logo and name will remain on the jerseys.
Season-by-season records
| Season | Team | Conference | Regular season | Playoff WNBA Playoffs The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals.... Results |
Head coach | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | PCT | ||||||
| New York Liberty | ||||||||
| 1997 1997 WNBA Season -External links:*... |
1997 1997 New York Liberty season The 1997 WNBA season was the 1st season for the New York Liberty.-Initial Player Allocation:-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:The Liberty's and WNBA's first game was played on June 21, 1997 in Los Angeles. Led by head coach Nancy Darsch, the Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 67-57. The attendance... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
2nd | 17 | 11 | .607 | Won WNBA Semifinals (Phoenix Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises... , 1–0) Lost WNBA Finals (Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and... , 0–1) |
Nancy Darsch Nancy Darsch Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the... |
| 1998 1998 WNBA season -External links:**... |
1998 1998 New York Liberty season The 1998 WNBA season was the 2nd for the New York Liberty. The Liberty finished with a 18-12 mark, but they missed the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
3rd | 18 | 12 | .600 | Did not qualify | Nancy Darsch Nancy Darsch Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the... |
| 1999 1999 WNBA season -External links:**... |
1999 1999 New York Liberty season The 1999 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty hosted the first WNBA All-Star Game.-WNBA Draft:-Season Schedule:-Player stats:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
1st | 18 | 14 | .563 | Received a bye for the Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals (Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007.... , 2–1) Lost WNBA Finals (Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and... , 1–2) |
Richie Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... |
| 2000 2000 WNBA season -External links:**... |
2000 2000 New York Liberty season The 2000 WNBA season was the 4th season for the New York Liberty. The team reached the WNBA Finals for the third time, but they were swept by the Houston Comets.-Expansion Draft:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
1st | 20 | 12 | .625 | Won Conference Semifinals (Washington Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'... , 2–0) Won Conference Finals (Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which... , 2–1) Lost WNBA Finals (Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and... , 0–2) |
Richie Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... |
| 2001 2001 WNBA season -External links:**... |
2001 2001 New York Liberty season The 2001 WNBA season was the 5th season for the New York Liberty. The team attempted to reach the WNBA Finals, but they failed in the conference finals, losing in three games to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
2nd | 21 | 11 | .656 | Won Conference Semifinals (Miami Miami Sol The Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems... , 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007.... , 1–2) |
Richie Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... |
| 2002 2002 WNBA season -External links:***... |
2002 2002 New York Liberty season The 2002 WNBA season was the 6th season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty franchise reached their 4th berth to the WNBA Finals, but lost in a sweep to the Los Angeles Sparks. As of the 2010 season, this was the last season that New York qualified for the WNBA Finals.-WNBA Draft:-Season... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
1st | 18 | 14 | .563 | Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... , 2–1) Won Conference Finals (Washington Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'... , 2–1) Lost WNBA Finals (Los Angeles Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... , 0–2) |
Richie Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... |
| 2003 2003 WNBA season -External links:***... |
2003 2003 New York Liberty season The 2003 WNBA season was the 7th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty fell one game short for the playoffs, also missing the postseason for the first time since 1998.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
6th | 16 | 18 | .471 | Did not qualify | Richie Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... |
| 2004 2004 WNBA season -External links:***... |
2004 2004 New York Liberty season The 2004 WNBA season was the 8th season for the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:Based on the Liberty's 2003 record, they would pick 4th in the Cleveland Rockers dispersal draft. The Liberty picked Ann Wauters.-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
2nd | 18 | 16 | .529 | Won Conference Semifinals (Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion... , 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Connecticut Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season... , 0–2) |
R. Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... (7–9) P. Coyle (11–7) |
| 2005 2005 WNBA season -External links:***... |
2005 2005 New York Liberty season The 2005 WNBA season was the 9th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty advanced to the playoffs, but they were quickly swept by the Indiana Fever in the Conference Semifinals.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
3rd | 18 | 16 | .529 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... , 0–2) |
Pat Coyle |
| 2006 2006 WNBA season -External links:*******... |
2006 2006 New York Liberty season The 2006 WNBA season was the 10th for the New York Liberty. The team finished the season with the worst record in franchise history, at 11-23.-Offseason:*In the 2006 WNBA Expansion Draft, the Chicago Sky selected DeTrina White from the New York Liberty.... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
5th | 11 | 23 | .324 | Did not qualify | Pat Coyle |
| 2007 2007 WNBA season -External links:* * * * * * * *... |
2007 2007 New York Liberty season The 2007 WNBA season was the 11th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty surprisingly reached the playoffs, but they later fell to evental conference champion Detroit Shock.-Dispersal Draft:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
4th | 16 | 18 | .471 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion... , 1–2) |
Pat Coyle |
| 2008 2008 WNBA season -Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions.... |
2008 2008 New York Liberty season The 2008 WNBA season was the 12th season for the New York Liberty. The first ever outdoor professional basketball game was held at Arthur Ashe Stadium between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
3rd | 19 | 15 | .559 | Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season... , 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion... , 1–2) |
Pat Coyle |
| 2009 2009 WNBA season The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008... |
2009 2009 New York Liberty season The 2009 WNBA season is the 13th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty attempted to advance to the WNBA Playoffs for the tenth time in thirteen seasons, but failed.-Dispersal Draft:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
7th | 13 | 21 | .382 | Did not qualify | P. Coyle (6–11) A. Donovan Anne Donovan Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA... (7–10) |
| 2010 2010 WNBA season The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star... |
2010 2010 New York Liberty season The 2010 WNBA season is the 14th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Liberty's 2009 record, they would pick 1st in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
2nd | 22 | 12 | .647 | Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... , 2–1) Lost Conference Finals (Atlanta Atlanta Dream The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta... , 0–2) |
Anne Donovan Anne Donovan Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA... |
| 2011 2011 WNBA season The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV... |
2011 2011 New York Liberty season The 2010 WNBA season is the 15th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty will play at Prudential Center in New Jersey from 2011 through 2013 during renovations at Madison Square Garden.-WNBA Draft:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
4th | 19 | 15 | .559 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... , 1–2) |
John Whisenant John Whisenant John Whisenant is currently head coach for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association . He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. degree in physical education from New Mexico State University and earned an M.A. in history from Pittsburg State University.-Career:Whisenant's nickname... |
| Regular season | 264 | 228 | .537 | 3 Conference Championships | ||||
| Playoffs | 24 | 29 | .453 | 0 WNBA Championships | ||||
Former players
- Elena BaranovaElena BaranovaElena Viktorovna Baranova is a Russian professional basketball player. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the New York Liberty until the...
(2003–2005) - Sherill BakerSherill BakerSherill Shavette Baker is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Detroit Shock....
(2006–2007) - Shameka ChristonShameka ChristonShameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(2004–2009) - Jessica DavenportJessica DavenportJessica Davenport, born June 24, 1985, is a reserve center for the WNBA's Indiana Fever. She previously played for The Ohio State University's women's basketball team.-High school:...
(2007–2008), now a member of the Indiana FeverIndiana FeverThe Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Barbara FarrisBarbara FarrisBarbara Farris, born September 10, 1976, was a basketball player for the Detroit Shock in the WNBA.On May 29, 2009 Farris signed with the Detroit Shock....
(2006–2007) - Kisha FordKisha FordKisha Ford is a former WNBA player for the New York Liberty, Orlando Miracle, and the Miami Sol. She played college basketball at Georgia Tech, where she was the all-time leading scorer in team history. She competed with USA Basketball as a member of the 1995 Jones Cup Team that won the Bronze in...
(1997–1998)
- Becky HammonBecky HammonRebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(1999–2006), now a member of the San Antonio Silver StarsSan Antonio Silver StarsThe San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio... - Kym HamptonKym HamptonKym Hampton is a retired professional basketball player from the WNBA.-References:*...
(1997–1999), now Fan Development Leader for the Liberty - Tiffany JacksonTiffany JacksonTiffany Jackson, born April 26, 1985, is a basketball player for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA.Jackson grew up in Duncanville, Texas.-High school:Jackson played for Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, where she was named a WBCA All-American...
(2007–2010), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Vickie JohnsonVickie JohnsonVickie Johnson , is a WNBA player who played for the San Antonio Silver Stars until her retirement in 2009. She grew up in Coushatta, Louisiana.-High School Years:Johnson was a letterman in basketball and track and field...
(1997–2005), now an assistant coach for the San Antonio Silver StarsSan Antonio Silver StarsThe San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio... - Cathrine KraayeveldCathrine KraayeveldCathrine Helene Kraayeveld is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Her father, Dave, played football for the Seattle Seahawks in 1978.-High school and college:...
(2005–2009), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender... - Rebecca LoboRebecca LoboRebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(1997–2001) - Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2010), now a member of the Minnesota LynxMinnesota LynxThe Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
- Loree MooreLoree Moore-External links:**...
(2005–2009) - Tari PhillipsTari PhillipsTari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(2000–2004) - Crystal RobinsonCrystal RobinsonCrystal Robinson , is a former Women's National Basketball Association player who played for the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. She grew up in Atoka, Oklahoma.-High school:...
(1999–2005) - Erin ThornErin ThornErin Thorn is an American professional basketball player. She is currently playing for Tarbes GB in Tarbes, France.- Brigham Young University :...
(2003–2008), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender... - Teresa WeatherspoonTeresa Weatherspoon-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(1997–2003) - Tamika WhitmoreTamika WhitmoreTamika Whitmore is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.-College years:She played collegiate basketball while attending the University of Memphis on a scholarship...
(1999–2003) - Sue WicksSue WicksSue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
(1997–2002) - Sophia WitherspoonSophia WitherspoonSophia L. Witherspoon is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard for seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association . Witherspoon played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected in the second round of the 1997 WNBA Draft...
(1997–1999)
Owners
- Cablevision, owner of the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(1997–2009) - Madison Square Garden, Inc.Madison Square Garden, Inc.Madison Square Garden, Inc. , is an American entertainment promotion company, headquartered in New York, New York. The company spun off from Cablevision on February 9, 2010.-Divisions:...
, owner of the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(2010–present)
Head coaches
| New York Liberty head coaches | |
|---|---|
Assistant coaches
- Melissa McFerrin (1997–1998)
- Pat Coyle (1998–2004)
- Jeff House (1999–2004)
- Marianne Stanley (2004–2006)
- Nick DiPilloNick DiPilloNick DiPillo served as an assistant coach for the New York Liberty of the WNBA from 2004 to the spring of 2009. DiPillo played for two years at Rutgers-Camden before finishing his collegiate career at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Teaneck, New Jersey...
(2005–2008) - Bruce Hamburger (2007–2008)
- Anne DonovanAnne DonovanAnne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
(2009) - Laurie Byrd (2009–2010)
- Monique Ambers (2011–present)
- Lady GroomsLady GroomsLady Grooms is an American former professional basketball player, who was one of the 16 original WNBA players allocated to the teams in the new league's Initial Player Allocation draft...
(2011–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty statistics
|- valign="top"
|
|-
|
|-
|
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Madison Square Garden, who also owns the Liberty's NBA counterpart, the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
The Liberty has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in ten of its fourteen years in New York. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as guard Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
, Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
, University of Utah player Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell is an American basketball player in the WNBA for the New York Liberty.Mitchell was born to an American father, Dennis Mitchell, and an Australian mother of Asian descent , Eleanor Majid...
, and Rutgers
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
player Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
. In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002
2002 WNBA Finals
The 2002 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2002 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Los Angeles Sparks, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the New York Liberty, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to none in a...
, the Liberty went to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
but fell short the first three attempts to Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
and in 2002 to Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship.
Due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, the Liberty will play at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
from 2011 through 2013.
Early success (1997–2002)
Prior to the team's first season, to avoid potential trademark infringement, the team purchased the trademarks of the defunct Liberty Basketball Association.The adage "always the bridesmaid, never the bride," could be used to describe the Liberty. When the WNBA opened in 1997, the Liberty was one of the first teams to choose a player, and they signed college superstar Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
) to a contract. Lobo was a starter for two seasons but was injured in 1999, and her injuries eventually led to her retirement several seasons later. Point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
emerged as a star and the Liberty made it to the 1997 championship game, where the team lost to the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
. In 1999, they returned to the WNBA Finals, where they again faced Comets. In Game 2, Teresa Weatherspoon's halfcourt shot at the buzzer gave the Liberty a one point road win that tied the series. However, the Liberty lost the third game of the series and the Comets became champions for a third straight time.
The Liberty subsequently returned to the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost once again to the Comets and to the Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
, respectively. In 2001, Weatherspoon became the WNBA's all-time assist leader, and Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
, once a back-up to Lobo at forward, also proved to be a valuable player, making the All-Star game. 1998, 2003, 2006, and recently 2009 were the only years the Liberty failed to make the playoffs.
Post-Weatherspoon (2003–2005)
2003 marked a transition for the Liberty, with team leader Teresa Weatherspoon's WNBA career winding down, fan favorite Becky HammonBecky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
emerged as a star player. The 2004 season saw Hammon replacing Weatherspoon at the team's starting point guard spot.
Six games during the 2004 season were moved to Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
as Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
. These games marked the first time Radio City had hosted a professional sporting event since the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match held in 1999.
With team leader Tari Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
being signed to the Houston Comets, Ann Wauters
Ann Wauters
Ann Hilde Willy Wauters is a Belgian professional basketball player who currently plays for Ros Casares Valencia in Euroleague Women. Wauters played in the WNBA from 2000 to 2009, most recently with the San Antonio Silver Stars. Her primary position is center.-Personal:Wauters began playing...
emerged as a force at the team's starting center position in 2005. However, she was injured midway through the season. The loss of Wauters was felt as the team was swept two games to none by the Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
in the first round of the playoffs.
Transition seasons (2006–2007)
The Liberty saw a poor 2006 season, winning only 11 games, the worst in franchise history.At the beginning of the 2007 WNBA season, the team traded Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
to the San Antonio Silver Stars
San Antonio Silver Stars
The San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio...
for Jessica Davenport
Jessica Davenport
Jessica Davenport, born June 24, 1985, is a reserve center for the WNBA's Indiana Fever. She previously played for The Ohio State University's women's basketball team.-High school:...
, a first round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft
2007 WNBA Draft
The 2007 WNBA Draft was the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league....
. They also acquired center Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...
through the dispersal draft associated with the dissolution of the Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
. The 2007 Liberty started out 5–0, then lost 7 straight games, then rallied at the end of the season to get the last playoff spot by winning 3 out of their last 4 games, beating the Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
on the tiebreaker of head-to-head record. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Liberty, as huge underdogs, faced the defending champion Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in a best-of-three series. The Liberty defeated the Shock by winning Game 1 in New York. In Games 2 and 3 the Liberty lost both games to the Shock in Detroit, 76–73 and 71–70 (OT) respectively.
Decline (2008–2009)
In 2008, the Liberty drafted former Rutgers shooting guard Essence Carson and former University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
forward Erlana Larkins, and signed former University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
point guard Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell is an American basketball player in the WNBA for the New York Liberty.Mitchell was born to an American father, Dennis Mitchell, and an Australian mother of Asian descent , Eleanor Majid...
during the preseason. Although they had the youngest average age of any WNBA team, the Liberty managed to win 19 regular season games in 2008, to defeat the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
in the first round of playoff action, and to come within two points of defeating the Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in the third and last game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, the Detroit series entailed a Liberty victory at home in Game 1, followed by narrow defeats away in Games 2 and 3. The 2008 season also featured the "Liberty Outdoor Classic
Liberty Outdoor Classic
The Liberty Outdoor Classic was the first regular-season professional basketball game played outdoors. It was played between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York on July 19, 2008 with the Fever winning the game, 71-55...
", the first ever professional regular season basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game to be played outdoors, on July 19 at Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium, a part of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center located within Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens, is the main tennis stadium of the US Open, the last of each year's four Grand Slam tournaments, and also where the annual Arthur Ashe...
of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
defeated the Liberty in the Outdoor Classic.
The Liberty were originally scheduled to be displaced from their usual home court due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
beginning in 2009. The renovation plans were delayed and the Liberty played at the Garden in 2009 and 2010. The renovation has been rescheduled, so the Liberty will play in the Prudential Center in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
In the 2009 WNBA Draft
2009 WNBA Draft
The 2009 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2009. The first round was shown on ESPN2 at 3:00pm ET, while the second and third rounds were shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at...
, the Liberty selected local favorite Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn is a professional women's basketball player for the WNBA's New York Liberty. She attended high school at St. Michael's All Girls High School in New York, and later went on to star at Rutgers University....
from Rutgers. With a solid core group, the Liberty looked to be a contender in the East yet again.
In the 2009 season, however, they never proved to be a contender. During 2009 , the team fired head coach Pat Coyle, which led to the hiring of then-Liberty assistant coach Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
to take the interim tag. Even with her coaching New York, the franchise continued to struggle, finishing 13–21, their second worst record in franchise history.
The Cappie Pondexter era (2010–present)
They fared far better in 2010, during Donovan's first and only full season as head coach. Led by newly signed high scorer Cappie PondexterCappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
(formerly of the Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
) and the 2010 Most Improved Player Award
WNBA Most Improved Player Award
The Women's National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the 2000 WNBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States,...
winner Leilani Mitchell, the team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Atlanta Dream.
The team had high hopes for 2011 after the hiring of former WNBA champion
2005 WNBA Finals
The 2005 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Sacramento Monarchs, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Connecticut Sun, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, three games to one in a...
head coach John Whisenant
John Whisenant
John Whisenant is currently head coach for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association . He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. degree in physical education from New Mexico State University and earned an M.A. in history from Pittsburg State University.-Career:Whisenant's nickname...
. Pondexter and Plenette Pierson
Plenette Pierson
Plenette Pierson is a professional WNBA player for the New York Liberty. In the 2007 season, Pierson won the first ever Sixth Woman of the Year Award given in the WNBA.-College:...
, along with improved play from Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn is a professional women's basketball player for the WNBA's New York Liberty. She attended high school at St. Michael's All Girls High School in New York, and later went on to star at Rutgers University....
, allowed New York to be competitive early in the season. The team had difficulty getting used to the Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
) which would be their home floor until 2013 while renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
were completed. The team went into the All-Star break
2011 WNBA All-Star Game
The 2011 WNBA All-Star Game was played on July 23, 2011 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, home of the San Antonio Silver Stars. The game was the 10th WNBA All-Star Game, which has been held annually since 1999 except in 2004, 2008, and 2010...
in third place in the Eastern Conference.
Uniforms
- 1997–2002: white with a black line above the shoulders at home, black with a green line on the road.
- 2003–2010: white with teal, blue and orange trim and "Liberty" on the chest in light blue letters at home. Primary color is blue on the road with "New York" on the chest in white letters. The Liberty logo is on the left leg of the shorts.
- 2010: On June 2, 2010, the New York Liberty and Foxwoods Resort CasinoFoxwoods Resort CasinoFoxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel-casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. Together with the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, it is one of the largest casino complexes in the world in terms of floor space for gaming. The entire resort comprises of space. The casino has over 380 gaming tables...
announced a premier partnership that includes a branded jersey sponsorship. As part of the partnership, the Foxwoods name will appear in front of the Liberty jerseys. - 2011–present: As part of the transition to AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
' Revolution 30 technology, the Liberty unveiled new jerseys. Home jerseys are white with seafoam green numbers and blue trim. Road uniforms are blue with seafoam green numbers and white trim. The Foxwoods logo and name will remain on the jerseys.
Season-by-season records
{|class="navbox wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align: center; width: 85%;"|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#0047AB " | New York Liberty
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1997
1997 WNBA Season
-External links:*...
| 1997
1997 New York Liberty season
The 1997 WNBA season was the 1st season for the New York Liberty.-Initial Player Allocation:-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:The Liberty's and WNBA's first game was played on June 21, 1997 in Los Angeles. Led by head coach Nancy Darsch, the Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 67-57. The attendance...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 17
| 11
| .607
| Won WNBA Semifinals (Phoenix
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
, 1–0)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 0–1)
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1998
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 1998
1998 New York Liberty season
The 1998 WNBA season was the 2nd for the New York Liberty. The Liberty finished with a 18-12 mark, but they missed the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 18
| 12
| .600
| Did not qualify
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1999
1999 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 1999
1999 New York Liberty season
The 1999 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty hosted the first WNBA All-Star Game.-WNBA Draft:-Season Schedule:-Player stats:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 1st
| 18
| 14
| .563
| Received a bye for the Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals (Charlotte
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 1–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2000
2000 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 2000
2000 New York Liberty season
The 2000 WNBA season was the 4th season for the New York Liberty. The team reached the WNBA Finals for the third time, but they were swept by the Houston Comets.-Expansion Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 1st
| 20
| 12
| .625
| Won Conference Semifinals (Washington
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Cleveland
Cleveland Rockers
This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2001
2001 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 2001
2001 New York Liberty season
The 2001 WNBA season was the 5th season for the New York Liberty. The team attempted to reach the WNBA Finals, but they failed in the conference finals, losing in three games to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 21
| 11
| .656
| Won Conference Semifinals (Miami
Miami Sol
The Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Charlotte
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
, 1–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2002
2002 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2002
2002 New York Liberty season
The 2002 WNBA season was the 6th season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty franchise reached their 4th berth to the WNBA Finals, but lost in a sweep to the Los Angeles Sparks. As of the 2010 season, this was the last season that New York qualified for the WNBA Finals.-WNBA Draft:-Season...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 1st
| 18
| 14
| .563
| Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 2–1)
Won Conference Finals (Washington
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2003
2003 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2003
2003 New York Liberty season
The 2003 WNBA season was the 7th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty fell one game short for the playoffs, also missing the postseason for the first time since 1998.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 6th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2004
2004 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2004
2004 New York Liberty season
The 2004 WNBA season was the 8th season for the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:Based on the Liberty's 2003 record, they would pick 4th in the Cleveland Rockers dispersal draft. The Liberty picked Ann Wauters.-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Won Conference Semifinals (Detroit
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 0–2)
| R. Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
(7–9)
P. Coyle (11–7)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2005
2005 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2005
2005 New York Liberty season
The 2005 WNBA season was the 9th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty advanced to the playoffs, but they were quickly swept by the Indiana Fever in the Conference Semifinals.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 0–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2006
2006 WNBA season
-External links:*******...
| 2006
2006 New York Liberty season
The 2006 WNBA season was the 10th for the New York Liberty. The team finished the season with the worst record in franchise history, at 11-23.-Offseason:*In the 2006 WNBA Expansion Draft, the Chicago Sky selected DeTrina White from the New York Liberty....
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 11
| 23
| .324
| Did not qualify
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2007
2007 WNBA season
-External links:* * * * * * * *...
| 2007
2007 New York Liberty season
The 2007 WNBA season was the 11th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty surprisingly reached the playoffs, but they later fell to evental conference champion Detroit Shock.-Dispersal Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
, 1–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
| 2008
2008 New York Liberty season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 12th season for the New York Liberty. The first ever outdoor professional basketball game was held at Arthur Ashe Stadium between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Detroit
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
, 1–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
2009 WNBA season
The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008...
| 2009
2009 New York Liberty season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 13th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty attempted to advance to the WNBA Playoffs for the tenth time in thirteen seasons, but failed.-Dispersal Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 7th
| 13
| 21
| .382
| Did not qualify
| P. Coyle (6–11)
A. Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
(7–10)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
| 2010
2010 New York Liberty season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 14th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Liberty's 2009 record, they would pick 1st in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 22
| 12
| .647
| Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
, 0–2)
| Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
| 2011
2011 New York Liberty season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 15th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty will play at Prudential Center in New Jersey from 2011 through 2013 during renovations at Madison Square Garden.-WNBA Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 1–2)
| John Whisenant
John Whisenant
John Whisenant is currently head coach for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association . He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. degree in physical education from New Mexico State University and earned an M.A. in history from Pittsburg State University.-Career:Whisenant's nickname...
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 264
|style="background:#eee;"| 228
|style="background:#eee;"| .537
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 3 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 24
|style="background:#eee;"| 29
|style="background:#eee;"| .453
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
Former players
- Elena BaranovaElena BaranovaElena Viktorovna Baranova is a Russian professional basketball player. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the New York Liberty until the...
(2003–2005) - Sherill BakerSherill BakerSherill Shavette Baker is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Detroit Shock....
(2006–2007) - Shameka ChristonShameka ChristonShameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(2004–2009) - Jessica DavenportJessica DavenportJessica Davenport, born June 24, 1985, is a reserve center for the WNBA's Indiana Fever. She previously played for The Ohio State University's women's basketball team.-High school:...
(2007–2008), now a member of the Indiana FeverIndiana FeverThe Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Barbara FarrisBarbara FarrisBarbara Farris, born September 10, 1976, was a basketball player for the Detroit Shock in the WNBA.On May 29, 2009 Farris signed with the Detroit Shock....
(2006–2007) - Kisha FordKisha FordKisha Ford is a former WNBA player for the New York Liberty, Orlando Miracle, and the Miami Sol. She played college basketball at Georgia Tech, where she was the all-time leading scorer in team history. She competed with USA Basketball as a member of the 1995 Jones Cup Team that won the Bronze in...
(1997–1998) - Becky HammonBecky HammonRebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(1999–2006), now a member of the San Antonio Silver StarsSan Antonio Silver StarsThe San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio... - Kym HamptonKym HamptonKym Hampton is a retired professional basketball player from the WNBA.-References:*...
(1997–1999), now Fan Development Leader for the Liberty - Tiffany JacksonTiffany JacksonTiffany Jackson, born April 26, 1985, is a basketball player for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA.Jackson grew up in Duncanville, Texas.-High school:Jackson played for Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, where she was named a WBCA All-American...
(2007–2010), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Vickie JohnsonVickie JohnsonVickie Johnson , is a WNBA player who played for the San Antonio Silver Stars until her retirement in 2009. She grew up in Coushatta, Louisiana.-High School Years:Johnson was a letterman in basketball and track and field...
(1997–2005), now an assistant coach for the San Antonio Silver StarsSan Antonio Silver StarsThe San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio... - Cathrine KraayeveldCathrine KraayeveldCathrine Helene Kraayeveld is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Her father, Dave, played football for the Seattle Seahawks in 1978.-High school and college:...
(2005–2009), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender... - Rebecca LoboRebecca LoboRebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(1997–2001) - Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2010), now a member of the Minnesota LynxMinnesota LynxThe Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
- Loree MooreLoree Moore-External links:**...
(2005–2009) - Tari PhillipsTari PhillipsTari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(2000–2004) - Crystal RobinsonCrystal RobinsonCrystal Robinson , is a former Women's National Basketball Association player who played for the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. She grew up in Atoka, Oklahoma.-High school:...
(1999–2005) - Erin ThornErin ThornErin Thorn is an American professional basketball player. She is currently playing for Tarbes GB in Tarbes, France.- Brigham Young University :...
(2003–2008), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender... - Teresa WeatherspoonTeresa Weatherspoon-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(1997–2003) - Tamika WhitmoreTamika WhitmoreTamika Whitmore is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.-College years:She played collegiate basketball while attending the University of Memphis on a scholarship...
(1999–2003) - Sue WicksSue WicksSue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
(1997–2002) - Sophia WitherspoonSophia WitherspoonSophia L. Witherspoon is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard for seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association . Witherspoon played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected in the second round of the 1997 WNBA Draft...
(1997–1999)
Owners
- Cablevision, owner of the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(1997–2009) - Madison Square Garden, Inc.Madison Square Garden, Inc.Madison Square Garden, Inc. , is an American entertainment promotion company, headquartered in New York, New York. The company spun off from Cablevision on February 9, 2010.-Divisions:...
, owner of the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(2010–present)
Head coaches
{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|| April 29, 1997 || September 11, 1998 || 2 || width="5%"|35 || width="5%"|23 || width="5%"|.603 || width="5%"|58 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|| December 6, 1998 || July 3, 2004 || 5 || width="5%"|100 || width="5%"|78 || width="5%"|.562 || width="5%"|178 ||width="5%"|14 || width="5%"|13 || width="5%"|.519 || width="5%"|27
|-
| Pat Coyle || July 3, 2004 || July 31, 2009 || 5 || width="5%"|81 || width="5%"|90 || width="5%"|.474 || width="5%"|171 ||width="5%"|6 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|.375 || width="5%"|16
|-
| Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
|| July 31, 2009 || end of 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
|| 2 || width="5%"|29 || width="5%"|22 || width="5%"|.567 || width="5%"|51 ||width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|3 || width="5%"|.400 || width="5%"|5
|-
| John Whisenant
John Whisenant
John Whisenant is currently head coach for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association . He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. degree in physical education from New Mexico State University and earned an M.A. in history from Pittsburg State University.-Career:Whisenant's nickname...
|| October 12, 2010 || Current || 1 || width="5%"|19 || width="5%"|15 || width="5%"|.559 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.333 || width="5%"|3
|}
Assistant coaches
- Melissa McFerrin (1997–1998)
- Pat Coyle (1998–2004)
- Jeff House (1999–2004)
- Marianne Stanley (2004–2006)
- Nick DiPilloNick DiPilloNick DiPillo served as an assistant coach for the New York Liberty of the WNBA from 2004 to the spring of 2009. DiPillo played for two years at Rutgers-Camden before finishing his collegiate career at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Teaneck, New Jersey...
(2005–2008) - Bruce Hamburger (2007–2008)
- Anne DonovanAnne DonovanAnne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
(2009) - Laurie Byrd (2009–2010)
- Monique Ambers (2011–present)
- Lady GroomsLady GroomsLady Grooms is an American former professional basketball player, who was one of the 16 original WNBA players allocated to the teams in the new league's Initial Player Allocation draft...
(2011–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty statistics
|- valign="top"
|
1990s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 1997
1997 New York Liberty season
The 1997 WNBA season was the 1st season for the New York Liberty.-Initial Player Allocation:-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:The Liberty's and WNBA's first game was played on June 21, 1997 in Los Angeles. Led by head coach Nancy Darsch, the Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 67-57. The attendance...
| S. Witherspoon
Sophia Witherspoon
Sophia L. Witherspoon is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard for seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association . Witherspoon played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected in the second round of the 1997 WNBA Draft...
(14.5)
| R. Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(7.3)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.1)
| 68.3 vs 65.9
| 32.9 vs 33.3
| .412 vs .391
|-
| 1998
1998 New York Liberty season
The 1998 WNBA season was the 2nd for the New York Liberty. The Liberty finished with a 18-12 mark, but they missed the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| S. Witherspoon
Sophia Witherspoon
Sophia L. Witherspoon is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard for seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association . Witherspoon played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected in the second round of the 1997 WNBA Draft...
(13.8)
| R. Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(6.9)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.4)
| 68.6 vs 65.5
| 31.5 vs 29.7
| .425 vs .419
|-
| 1999
1999 New York Liberty season
The 1999 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty hosted the first WNBA All-Star Game.-WNBA Draft:-Season Schedule:-Player stats:...
| V. Johnson
Vickie Johnson
Vickie Johnson , is a WNBA player who played for the San Antonio Silver Stars until her retirement in 2009. She grew up in Coushatta, Louisiana.-High School Years:Johnson was a letterman in basketball and track and field...
(13.3)
| S. Wicks
Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
(7.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.4)
| 67.8 vs 65.3
| 29.5 vs 30.7
| .418 vs .412
|}
|
2000s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2000
2000 New York Liberty season
The 2000 WNBA season was the 4th season for the New York Liberty. The team reached the WNBA Finals for the third time, but they were swept by the Houston Comets.-Expansion Draft:...
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(13.8)
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(8.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.4)
| 67.1 vs 63.6
| 29.4 vs 30.2
| .436 vs .407
|-
| 2001
2001 New York Liberty season
The 2001 WNBA season was the 5th season for the New York Liberty. The team attempted to reach the WNBA Finals, but they failed in the conference finals, losing in three games to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:...
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(15.3)
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(8.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.3)
| 67.6 vs 65.1
| 28.6 vs 30.7
| .456 vs .423
|-
| 2002
2002 New York Liberty season
The 2002 WNBA season was the 6th season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty franchise reached their 4th berth to the WNBA Finals, but lost in a sweep to the Los Angeles Sparks. As of the 2010 season, this was the last season that New York qualified for the WNBA Finals.-WNBA Draft:-Season...
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(14.1)
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(7.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(5.7)
| 65.3 vs 63.0
| 27.2 vs 30.0
| .444 vs .399
|-
| 2003
2003 New York Liberty season
The 2003 WNBA season was the 7th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty fell one game short for the playoffs, also missing the postseason for the first time since 1998.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(14.7)
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(8.5)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(4.4)
| 66.0 vs 66.4
| 28.1 vs 31.2
| .429 vs .419
|-
| 2004
2004 New York Liberty season
The 2004 WNBA season was the 8th season for the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:Based on the Liberty's 2003 record, they would pick 4th in the Cleveland Rockers dispersal draft. The Liberty picked Ann Wauters.-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:...
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(13.5)
| E. Baranova
Elena Baranova
Elena Viktorovna Baranova is a Russian professional basketball player. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the New York Liberty until the...
(7.2)
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(4.4)
| 66.2 vs 67.6
| 29.5 vs 32.4
| .424 vs .414
|-
| 2005
2005 New York Liberty season
The 2005 WNBA season was the 9th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty advanced to the playoffs, but they were quickly swept by the Indiana Fever in the Conference Semifinals.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(13.9)
| E. Baranova
Elena Baranova
Elena Viktorovna Baranova is a Russian professional basketball player. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the New York Liberty until the...
(6.9)
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(4.3)
| 68.1 vs 67.2
| 28.6 vs 30.3
| .445 vs .427
|-
| 2006
2006 New York Liberty season
The 2006 WNBA season was the 10th for the New York Liberty. The team finished the season with the worst record in franchise history, at 11-23.-Offseason:*In the 2006 WNBA Expansion Draft, the Chicago Sky selected DeTrina White from the New York Liberty....
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(14.7)
| K. Schumacher
Kelly Schumacher
Kelly Schumacher is an American born Canadian professional basketball player and professional volleyball player...
(5.5)
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(3.7)
| 69.8 vs 78.2
| 30.0 vs 34.5
| .397 vs .449
|-
| 2007
2007 New York Liberty season
The 2007 WNBA season was the 11th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty surprisingly reached the playoffs, but they later fell to evental conference champion Detroit Shock.-Dispersal Draft:...
| S. Christon
Shameka Christon
Shameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(11.2)
| J. McCarville
Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...
(4.8)
| L. Moore
Loree Moore
-External links:**...
(4.8)
| 71.0 vs 73.6
| 31.6 vs 35.7
| .417 vs .414
|-
| 2008
2008 New York Liberty season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 12th season for the New York Liberty. The first ever outdoor professional basketball game was held at Arthur Ashe Stadium between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever...
| S. Christon
Shameka Christon
Shameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(15.7)
| C. Kraayeveld
Cathrine Kraayeveld
Cathrine Helene Kraayeveld is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Her father, Dave, played football for the Seattle Seahawks in 1978.-High school and college:...
(6.1)
| L. Moore
Loree Moore
-External links:**...
(4.6)
| 75.7 vs 74.6
| 32.5 vs 34.6
| .421 vs .427
|-
| 2009
2009 New York Liberty season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 13th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty attempted to advance to the WNBA Playoffs for the tenth time in thirteen seasons, but failed.-Dispersal Draft:...
| S. Christon
Shameka Christon
Shameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(16.1)
| J. McCarville
Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...
(5.5)
| L. Moore
Loree Moore
-External links:**...
(3.9)
| 73.9 vs 74.6
| 31.8 vs 35.4
| .415 vs .420
|}
|
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Madison Square Garden, who also owns the Liberty's NBA counterpart, the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
The Liberty has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in ten of its fourteen years in New York. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as guard Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
, Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
, University of Utah player Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell is an American basketball player in the WNBA for the New York Liberty.Mitchell was born to an American father, Dennis Mitchell, and an Australian mother of Asian descent , Eleanor Majid...
, and Rutgers
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
player Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
. In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002
2002 WNBA Finals
The 2002 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2002 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Los Angeles Sparks, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the New York Liberty, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to none in a...
, the Liberty went to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
but fell short the first three attempts to Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
and in 2002 to Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship.
Due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, the Liberty will play at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
from 2011 through 2013.
Early success (1997–2002)
Prior to the team's first season, to avoid potential trademark infringement, the team purchased the trademarks of the defunct Liberty Basketball Association.The adage "always the bridesmaid, never the bride," could be used to describe the Liberty. When the WNBA opened in 1997, the Liberty was one of the first teams to choose a player, and they signed college superstar Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
) to a contract. Lobo was a starter for two seasons but was injured in 1999, and her injuries eventually led to her retirement several seasons later. Point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
emerged as a star and the Liberty made it to the 1997 championship game, where the team lost to the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
. In 1999, they returned to the WNBA Finals, where they again faced Comets. In Game 2, Teresa Weatherspoon's halfcourt shot at the buzzer gave the Liberty a one point road win that tied the series. However, the Liberty lost the third game of the series and the Comets became champions for a third straight time.
The Liberty subsequently returned to the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost once again to the Comets and to the Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
, respectively. In 2001, Weatherspoon became the WNBA's all-time assist leader, and Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
, once a back-up to Lobo at forward, also proved to be a valuable player, making the All-Star game. 1998, 2003, 2006, and recently 2009 were the only years the Liberty failed to make the playoffs.
Post-Weatherspoon (2003–2005)
2003 marked a transition for the Liberty, with team leader Teresa Weatherspoon's WNBA career winding down, fan favorite Becky HammonBecky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
emerged as a star player. The 2004 season saw Hammon replacing Weatherspoon at the team's starting point guard spot.
Six games during the 2004 season were moved to Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
as Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
. These games marked the first time Radio City had hosted a professional sporting event since the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match held in 1999.
With team leader Tari Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
being signed to the Houston Comets, Ann Wauters
Ann Wauters
Ann Hilde Willy Wauters is a Belgian professional basketball player who currently plays for Ros Casares Valencia in Euroleague Women. Wauters played in the WNBA from 2000 to 2009, most recently with the San Antonio Silver Stars. Her primary position is center.-Personal:Wauters began playing...
emerged as a force at the team's starting center position in 2005. However, she was injured midway through the season. The loss of Wauters was felt as the team was swept two games to none by the Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
in the first round of the playoffs.
Transition seasons (2006–2007)
The Liberty saw a poor 2006 season, winning only 11 games, the worst in franchise history.At the beginning of the 2007 WNBA season, the team traded Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
to the San Antonio Silver Stars
San Antonio Silver Stars
The San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio...
for Jessica Davenport
Jessica Davenport
Jessica Davenport, born June 24, 1985, is a reserve center for the WNBA's Indiana Fever. She previously played for The Ohio State University's women's basketball team.-High school:...
, a first round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft
2007 WNBA Draft
The 2007 WNBA Draft was the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league....
. They also acquired center Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...
through the dispersal draft associated with the dissolution of the Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
. The 2007 Liberty started out 5–0, then lost 7 straight games, then rallied at the end of the season to get the last playoff spot by winning 3 out of their last 4 games, beating the Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
on the tiebreaker of head-to-head record. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Liberty, as huge underdogs, faced the defending champion Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in a best-of-three series. The Liberty defeated the Shock by winning Game 1 in New York. In Games 2 and 3 the Liberty lost both games to the Shock in Detroit, 76–73 and 71–70 (OT) respectively.
Decline (2008–2009)
In 2008, the Liberty drafted former Rutgers shooting guard Essence Carson and former University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
forward Erlana Larkins, and signed former University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
point guard Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell
Leilani Mitchell is an American basketball player in the WNBA for the New York Liberty.Mitchell was born to an American father, Dennis Mitchell, and an Australian mother of Asian descent , Eleanor Majid...
during the preseason. Although they had the youngest average age of any WNBA team, the Liberty managed to win 19 regular season games in 2008, to defeat the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
in the first round of playoff action, and to come within two points of defeating the Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in the third and last game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, the Detroit series entailed a Liberty victory at home in Game 1, followed by narrow defeats away in Games 2 and 3. The 2008 season also featured the "Liberty Outdoor Classic
Liberty Outdoor Classic
The Liberty Outdoor Classic was the first regular-season professional basketball game played outdoors. It was played between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York on July 19, 2008 with the Fever winning the game, 71-55...
", the first ever professional regular season basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game to be played outdoors, on July 19 at Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium
Arthur Ashe Stadium, a part of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center located within Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens, is the main tennis stadium of the US Open, the last of each year's four Grand Slam tournaments, and also where the annual Arthur Ashe...
of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
defeated the Liberty in the Outdoor Classic.
The Liberty were originally scheduled to be displaced from their usual home court due to renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
beginning in 2009. The renovation plans were delayed and the Liberty played at the Garden in 2009 and 2010. The renovation has been rescheduled, so the Liberty will play in the Prudential Center in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
In the 2009 WNBA Draft
2009 WNBA Draft
The 2009 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2009. The first round was shown on ESPN2 at 3:00pm ET, while the second and third rounds were shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at...
, the Liberty selected local favorite Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn is a professional women's basketball player for the WNBA's New York Liberty. She attended high school at St. Michael's All Girls High School in New York, and later went on to star at Rutgers University....
from Rutgers. With a solid core group, the Liberty looked to be a contender in the East yet again.
In the 2009 season, however, they never proved to be a contender. During 2009 , the team fired head coach Pat Coyle, which led to the hiring of then-Liberty assistant coach Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
to take the interim tag. Even with her coaching New York, the franchise continued to struggle, finishing 13–21, their second worst record in franchise history.
The Cappie Pondexter era (2010–present)
They fared far better in 2010, during Donovan's first and only full season as head coach. Led by newly signed high scorer Cappie PondexterCappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
(formerly of the Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
) and the 2010 Most Improved Player Award
WNBA Most Improved Player Award
The Women's National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the 2000 WNBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States,...
winner Leilani Mitchell, the team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Atlanta Dream.
The team had high hopes for 2011 after the hiring of former WNBA champion
2005 WNBA Finals
The 2005 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Sacramento Monarchs, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Connecticut Sun, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, three games to one in a...
head coach John Whisenant
John Whisenant
John Whisenant is currently head coach for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association . He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. degree in physical education from New Mexico State University and earned an M.A. in history from Pittsburg State University.-Career:Whisenant's nickname...
. Pondexter and Plenette Pierson
Plenette Pierson
Plenette Pierson is a professional WNBA player for the New York Liberty. In the 2007 season, Pierson won the first ever Sixth Woman of the Year Award given in the WNBA.-College:...
, along with improved play from Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn is a professional women's basketball player for the WNBA's New York Liberty. She attended high school at St. Michael's All Girls High School in New York, and later went on to star at Rutgers University....
, allowed New York to be competitive early in the season. The team had difficulty getting used to the Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
) which would be their home floor until 2013 while renovations at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
were completed. The team went into the All-Star break
2011 WNBA All-Star Game
The 2011 WNBA All-Star Game was played on July 23, 2011 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, home of the San Antonio Silver Stars. The game was the 10th WNBA All-Star Game, which has been held annually since 1999 except in 2004, 2008, and 2010...
in third place in the Eastern Conference.
Uniforms
- 1997–2002: white with a black line above the shoulders at home, black with a green line on the road.
- 2003–2010: white with teal, blue and orange trim and "Liberty" on the chest in light blue letters at home. Primary color is blue on the road with "New York" on the chest in white letters. The Liberty logo is on the left leg of the shorts.
- 2010: On June 2, 2010, the New York Liberty and Foxwoods Resort CasinoFoxwoods Resort CasinoFoxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel-casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. Together with the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, it is one of the largest casino complexes in the world in terms of floor space for gaming. The entire resort comprises of space. The casino has over 380 gaming tables...
announced a premier partnership that includes a branded jersey sponsorship. As part of the partnership, the Foxwoods name will appear in front of the Liberty jerseys. - 2011–present: As part of the transition to AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
' Revolution 30 technology, the Liberty unveiled new jerseys. Home jerseys are white with seafoam green numbers and blue trim. Road uniforms are blue with seafoam green numbers and white trim. The Foxwoods logo and name will remain on the jerseys.
Season-by-season records
{|class="navbox wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align: center; width: 85%;"|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#0047AB " | New York Liberty
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1997
1997 WNBA Season
-External links:*...
| 1997
1997 New York Liberty season
The 1997 WNBA season was the 1st season for the New York Liberty.-Initial Player Allocation:-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:The Liberty's and WNBA's first game was played on June 21, 1997 in Los Angeles. Led by head coach Nancy Darsch, the Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 67-57. The attendance...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 17
| 11
| .607
| Won WNBA Semifinals (Phoenix
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
, 1–0)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 0–1)
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1998
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 1998
1998 New York Liberty season
The 1998 WNBA season was the 2nd for the New York Liberty. The Liberty finished with a 18-12 mark, but they missed the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 18
| 12
| .600
| Did not qualify
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1999
1999 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 1999
1999 New York Liberty season
The 1999 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty hosted the first WNBA All-Star Game.-WNBA Draft:-Season Schedule:-Player stats:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 1st
| 18
| 14
| .563
| Received a bye for the Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals (Charlotte
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 1–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2000
2000 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 2000
2000 New York Liberty season
The 2000 WNBA season was the 4th season for the New York Liberty. The team reached the WNBA Finals for the third time, but they were swept by the Houston Comets.-Expansion Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 1st
| 20
| 12
| .625
| Won Conference Semifinals (Washington
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Cleveland
Cleveland Rockers
This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Houston
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2001
2001 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 2001
2001 New York Liberty season
The 2001 WNBA season was the 5th season for the New York Liberty. The team attempted to reach the WNBA Finals, but they failed in the conference finals, losing in three games to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 21
| 11
| .656
| Won Conference Semifinals (Miami
Miami Sol
The Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Charlotte
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
, 1–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2002
2002 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2002
2002 New York Liberty season
The 2002 WNBA season was the 6th season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty franchise reached their 4th berth to the WNBA Finals, but lost in a sweep to the Los Angeles Sparks. As of the 2010 season, this was the last season that New York qualified for the WNBA Finals.-WNBA Draft:-Season...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 1st
| 18
| 14
| .563
| Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 2–1)
Won Conference Finals (Washington
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2003
2003 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2003
2003 New York Liberty season
The 2003 WNBA season was the 7th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty fell one game short for the playoffs, also missing the postseason for the first time since 1998.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 6th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2004
2004 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2004
2004 New York Liberty season
The 2004 WNBA season was the 8th season for the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:Based on the Liberty's 2003 record, they would pick 4th in the Cleveland Rockers dispersal draft. The Liberty picked Ann Wauters.-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Won Conference Semifinals (Detroit
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 0–2)
| R. Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
(7–9)
P. Coyle (11–7)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2005
2005 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2005
2005 New York Liberty season
The 2005 WNBA season was the 9th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty advanced to the playoffs, but they were quickly swept by the Indiana Fever in the Conference Semifinals.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 0–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2006
2006 WNBA season
-External links:*******...
| 2006
2006 New York Liberty season
The 2006 WNBA season was the 10th for the New York Liberty. The team finished the season with the worst record in franchise history, at 11-23.-Offseason:*In the 2006 WNBA Expansion Draft, the Chicago Sky selected DeTrina White from the New York Liberty....
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 11
| 23
| .324
| Did not qualify
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2007
2007 WNBA season
-External links:* * * * * * * *...
| 2007
2007 New York Liberty season
The 2007 WNBA season was the 11th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty surprisingly reached the playoffs, but they later fell to evental conference champion Detroit Shock.-Dispersal Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
, 1–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
| 2008
2008 New York Liberty season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 12th season for the New York Liberty. The first ever outdoor professional basketball game was held at Arthur Ashe Stadium between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Detroit
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
, 1–2)
| Pat Coyle
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
2009 WNBA season
The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008...
| 2009
2009 New York Liberty season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 13th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty attempted to advance to the WNBA Playoffs for the tenth time in thirteen seasons, but failed.-Dispersal Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 7th
| 13
| 21
| .382
| Did not qualify
| P. Coyle (6–11)
A. Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
(7–10)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
| 2010
2010 New York Liberty season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 14th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Liberty's 2009 record, they would pick 1st in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 22
| 12
| .647
| Won Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 2–1)
Lost Conference Finals (Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
, 0–2)
| Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
| 2011
2011 New York Liberty season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 15th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty will play at Prudential Center in New Jersey from 2011 through 2013 during renovations at Madison Square Garden.-WNBA Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 1–2)
| John Whisenant
John Whisenant
John Whisenant is currently head coach for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association . He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. degree in physical education from New Mexico State University and earned an M.A. in history from Pittsburg State University.-Career:Whisenant's nickname...
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 264
|style="background:#eee;"| 228
|style="background:#eee;"| .537
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 3 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 24
|style="background:#eee;"| 29
|style="background:#eee;"| .453
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
Former players
- Elena BaranovaElena BaranovaElena Viktorovna Baranova is a Russian professional basketball player. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the New York Liberty until the...
(2003–2005) - Sherill BakerSherill BakerSherill Shavette Baker is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Detroit Shock....
(2006–2007) - Shameka ChristonShameka ChristonShameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(2004–2009) - Jessica DavenportJessica DavenportJessica Davenport, born June 24, 1985, is a reserve center for the WNBA's Indiana Fever. She previously played for The Ohio State University's women's basketball team.-High school:...
(2007–2008), now a member of the Indiana FeverIndiana FeverThe Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Barbara FarrisBarbara FarrisBarbara Farris, born September 10, 1976, was a basketball player for the Detroit Shock in the WNBA.On May 29, 2009 Farris signed with the Detroit Shock....
(2006–2007) - Kisha FordKisha FordKisha Ford is a former WNBA player for the New York Liberty, Orlando Miracle, and the Miami Sol. She played college basketball at Georgia Tech, where she was the all-time leading scorer in team history. She competed with USA Basketball as a member of the 1995 Jones Cup Team that won the Bronze in...
(1997–1998) - Becky HammonBecky HammonRebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(1999–2006), now a member of the San Antonio Silver StarsSan Antonio Silver StarsThe San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio... - Kym HamptonKym HamptonKym Hampton is a retired professional basketball player from the WNBA.-References:*...
(1997–1999), now Fan Development Leader for the Liberty - Tiffany JacksonTiffany JacksonTiffany Jackson, born April 26, 1985, is a basketball player for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA.Jackson grew up in Duncanville, Texas.-High school:Jackson played for Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, where she was named a WBCA All-American...
(2007–2010), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Vickie JohnsonVickie JohnsonVickie Johnson , is a WNBA player who played for the San Antonio Silver Stars until her retirement in 2009. She grew up in Coushatta, Louisiana.-High School Years:Johnson was a letterman in basketball and track and field...
(1997–2005), now an assistant coach for the San Antonio Silver StarsSan Antonio Silver StarsThe San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio... - Cathrine KraayeveldCathrine KraayeveldCathrine Helene Kraayeveld is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Her father, Dave, played football for the Seattle Seahawks in 1978.-High school and college:...
(2005–2009), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender... - Rebecca LoboRebecca LoboRebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(1997–2001) - Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2010), now a member of the Minnesota LynxMinnesota LynxThe Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
- Loree MooreLoree Moore-External links:**...
(2005–2009) - Tari PhillipsTari PhillipsTari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(2000–2004) - Crystal RobinsonCrystal RobinsonCrystal Robinson , is a former Women's National Basketball Association player who played for the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. She grew up in Atoka, Oklahoma.-High school:...
(1999–2005) - Erin ThornErin ThornErin Thorn is an American professional basketball player. She is currently playing for Tarbes GB in Tarbes, France.- Brigham Young University :...
(2003–2008), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender... - Teresa WeatherspoonTeresa Weatherspoon-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(1997–2003) - Tamika WhitmoreTamika WhitmoreTamika Whitmore is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.-College years:She played collegiate basketball while attending the University of Memphis on a scholarship...
(1999–2003) - Sue WicksSue WicksSue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
(1997–2002) - Sophia WitherspoonSophia WitherspoonSophia L. Witherspoon is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard for seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association . Witherspoon played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected in the second round of the 1997 WNBA Draft...
(1997–1999)
Owners
- Cablevision, owner of the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(1997–2009) - Madison Square Garden, Inc.Madison Square Garden, Inc.Madison Square Garden, Inc. , is an American entertainment promotion company, headquartered in New York, New York. The company spun off from Cablevision on February 9, 2010.-Divisions:...
, owner of the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(2010–present)
Head coaches
{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|| April 29, 1997 || September 11, 1998 || 2 || width="5%"|35 || width="5%"|23 || width="5%"|.603 || width="5%"|58 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|| December 6, 1998 || July 3, 2004 || 5 || width="5%"|100 || width="5%"|78 || width="5%"|.562 || width="5%"|178 ||width="5%"|14 || width="5%"|13 || width="5%"|.519 || width="5%"|27
|-
| Pat Coyle || July 3, 2004 || July 31, 2009 || 5 || width="5%"|81 || width="5%"|90 || width="5%"|.474 || width="5%"|171 ||width="5%"|6 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|.375 || width="5%"|16
|-
| Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
|| July 31, 2009 || end of 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
|| 2 || width="5%"|29 || width="5%"|22 || width="5%"|.567 || width="5%"|51 ||width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|3 || width="5%"|.400 || width="5%"|5
|-
| John Whisenant
John Whisenant
John Whisenant is currently head coach for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association . He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. degree in physical education from New Mexico State University and earned an M.A. in history from Pittsburg State University.-Career:Whisenant's nickname...
|| October 12, 2010 || Current || 1 || width="5%"|19 || width="5%"|15 || width="5%"|.559 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.333 || width="5%"|3
|}
Assistant coaches
- Melissa McFerrin (1997–1998)
- Pat Coyle (1998–2004)
- Jeff House (1999–2004)
- Marianne Stanley (2004–2006)
- Nick DiPilloNick DiPilloNick DiPillo served as an assistant coach for the New York Liberty of the WNBA from 2004 to the spring of 2009. DiPillo played for two years at Rutgers-Camden before finishing his collegiate career at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Teaneck, New Jersey...
(2005–2008) - Bruce Hamburger (2007–2008)
- Anne DonovanAnne DonovanAnne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
(2009) - Laurie Byrd (2009–2010)
- Monique Ambers (2011–present)
- Lady GroomsLady GroomsLady Grooms is an American former professional basketball player, who was one of the 16 original WNBA players allocated to the teams in the new league's Initial Player Allocation draft...
(2011–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | New York Liberty statistics
|- valign="top"
|
1990s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 1997
1997 New York Liberty season
The 1997 WNBA season was the 1st season for the New York Liberty.-Initial Player Allocation:-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:The Liberty's and WNBA's first game was played on June 21, 1997 in Los Angeles. Led by head coach Nancy Darsch, the Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 67-57. The attendance...
| S. Witherspoon
Sophia Witherspoon
Sophia L. Witherspoon is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard for seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association . Witherspoon played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected in the second round of the 1997 WNBA Draft...
(14.5)
| R. Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(7.3)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.1)
| 68.3 vs 65.9
| 32.9 vs 33.3
| .412 vs .391
|-
| 1998
1998 New York Liberty season
The 1998 WNBA season was the 2nd for the New York Liberty. The Liberty finished with a 18-12 mark, but they missed the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| S. Witherspoon
Sophia Witherspoon
Sophia L. Witherspoon is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard for seven seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association . Witherspoon played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected in the second round of the 1997 WNBA Draft...
(13.8)
| R. Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
(6.9)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.4)
| 68.6 vs 65.5
| 31.5 vs 29.7
| .425 vs .419
|-
| 1999
1999 New York Liberty season
The 1999 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty hosted the first WNBA All-Star Game.-WNBA Draft:-Season Schedule:-Player stats:...
| V. Johnson
Vickie Johnson
Vickie Johnson , is a WNBA player who played for the San Antonio Silver Stars until her retirement in 2009. She grew up in Coushatta, Louisiana.-High School Years:Johnson was a letterman in basketball and track and field...
(13.3)
| S. Wicks
Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
(7.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.4)
| 67.8 vs 65.3
| 29.5 vs 30.7
| .418 vs .412
|}
|
2000s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2000
2000 New York Liberty season
The 2000 WNBA season was the 4th season for the New York Liberty. The team reached the WNBA Finals for the third time, but they were swept by the Houston Comets.-Expansion Draft:...
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(13.8)
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(8.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.4)
| 67.1 vs 63.6
| 29.4 vs 30.2
| .436 vs .407
|-
| 2001
2001 New York Liberty season
The 2001 WNBA season was the 5th season for the New York Liberty. The team attempted to reach the WNBA Finals, but they failed in the conference finals, losing in three games to the Charlotte Sting.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:...
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(15.3)
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(8.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(6.3)
| 67.6 vs 65.1
| 28.6 vs 30.7
| .456 vs .423
|-
| 2002
2002 New York Liberty season
The 2002 WNBA season was the 6th season for the New York Liberty. The Liberty franchise reached their 4th berth to the WNBA Finals, but lost in a sweep to the Los Angeles Sparks. As of the 2010 season, this was the last season that New York qualified for the WNBA Finals.-WNBA Draft:-Season...
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(14.1)
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(7.0)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(5.7)
| 65.3 vs 63.0
| 27.2 vs 30.0
| .444 vs .399
|-
| 2003
2003 New York Liberty season
The 2003 WNBA season was the 7th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty fell one game short for the playoffs, also missing the postseason for the first time since 1998.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(14.7)
| T. Phillips
Tari Phillips
Tari L. Phillips is a professional basketball player. She currently plays with Acer ERG Priolo, an Italian A1 team based in Priolo Gargallo, Sicily...
(8.5)
| T. Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon
-Personal:Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters...
(4.4)
| 66.0 vs 66.4
| 28.1 vs 31.2
| .429 vs .419
|-
| 2004
2004 New York Liberty season
The 2004 WNBA season was the 8th season for the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:Based on the Liberty's 2003 record, they would pick 4th in the Cleveland Rockers dispersal draft. The Liberty picked Ann Wauters.-WNBA Draft:-Regular season:...
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(13.5)
| E. Baranova
Elena Baranova
Elena Viktorovna Baranova is a Russian professional basketball player. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the New York Liberty until the...
(7.2)
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(4.4)
| 66.2 vs 67.6
| 29.5 vs 32.4
| .424 vs .414
|-
| 2005
2005 New York Liberty season
The 2005 WNBA season was the 9th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty advanced to the playoffs, but they were quickly swept by the Indiana Fever in the Conference Semifinals.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(13.9)
| E. Baranova
Elena Baranova
Elena Viktorovna Baranova is a Russian professional basketball player. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association player, where she became the first player from Europe in 1997 WNBA inaugural season, the first All-Star from Russia in 2001 and played for the New York Liberty until the...
(6.9)
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(4.3)
| 68.1 vs 67.2
| 28.6 vs 30.3
| .445 vs .427
|-
| 2006
2006 New York Liberty season
The 2006 WNBA season was the 10th for the New York Liberty. The team finished the season with the worst record in franchise history, at 11-23.-Offseason:*In the 2006 WNBA Expansion Draft, the Chicago Sky selected DeTrina White from the New York Liberty....
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(14.7)
| K. Schumacher
Kelly Schumacher
Kelly Schumacher is an American born Canadian professional basketball player and professional volleyball player...
(5.5)
| B. Hammon
Becky Hammon
Rebecca Lynn "Becky" Hammon is a professional basketball player currently under contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.-Early life:...
(3.7)
| 69.8 vs 78.2
| 30.0 vs 34.5
| .397 vs .449
|-
| 2007
2007 New York Liberty season
The 2007 WNBA season was the 11th for the New York Liberty. The Liberty surprisingly reached the playoffs, but they later fell to evental conference champion Detroit Shock.-Dispersal Draft:...
| S. Christon
Shameka Christon
Shameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(11.2)
| J. McCarville
Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...
(4.8)
| L. Moore
Loree Moore
-External links:**...
(4.8)
| 71.0 vs 73.6
| 31.6 vs 35.7
| .417 vs .414
|-
| 2008
2008 New York Liberty season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 12th season for the New York Liberty. The first ever outdoor professional basketball game was held at Arthur Ashe Stadium between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever...
| S. Christon
Shameka Christon
Shameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(15.7)
| C. Kraayeveld
Cathrine Kraayeveld
Cathrine Helene Kraayeveld is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Her father, Dave, played football for the Seattle Seahawks in 1978.-High school and college:...
(6.1)
| L. Moore
Loree Moore
-External links:**...
(4.6)
| 75.7 vs 74.6
| 32.5 vs 34.6
| .421 vs .427
|-
| 2009
2009 New York Liberty season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 13th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty attempted to advance to the WNBA Playoffs for the tenth time in thirteen seasons, but failed.-Dispersal Draft:...
| S. Christon
Shameka Christon
Shameka Delynn Christon is an American professional women's basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
(16.1)
| J. McCarville
Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...
(5.5)
| L. Moore
Loree Moore
-External links:**...
(3.9)
| 73.9 vs 74.6
| 31.8 vs 35.4
| .415 vs .420
|}
|
2010s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2010
2010 New York Liberty season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 14th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Liberty's 2009 record, they would pick 1st in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| C. Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
(21.4)
| J. McCarville
Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...
(5.9)
| C. Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
(4.9)
| 79.2 vs 76.0
| 31.2 vs 32.0
| .453 vs .436
|-
| 2011
2011 New York Liberty season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 15th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Liberty will play at Prudential Center in New Jersey from 2011 through 2013 during renovations at Madison Square Garden.-WNBA Draft:...
| C. Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
(17.4)
| K. Vaughn
Kia Vaughn
Kia Vaughn is a professional women's basketball player for the WNBA's New York Liberty. She attended high school at St. Michael's All Girls High School in New York, and later went on to star at Rutgers University....
(6.7)
| C. Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and deadly midrange jumpshot...
(4.7)
| 76.0 vs 74.8
| 32.8 vs 32.4
| .433 vs .429
|}
|}
Media coverage
Currently, some Liberty games are broadcast on the MSG NetworkMSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
(MSG), which is a local television station for the area of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. More often than not, NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Liberty games are Mike Crispino
Mike Crispino
Mike Crispino is an American sportscaster who currently serves as the radio play-by-play announcer for the New York Knicks as well as host of the MSG Network's golf show, The Road to the Barclays. Crispino is also the lead play by play announcer for St. John's Red Storm Men's Basketball team on...
and Mary Murphy.
All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Liberty games are broadcast nationally on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, ESPN2 and ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, which will pay right fees to the Liberty, as well as other teams in the league.
Regular season attendance
- A sellout for a basketball game at Madison Square GardenMadison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
(1997–2010, 2014–future) is 19,563. - A sellout for a basketball game at Prudential Center (2011–2013) is 18,711.
{| class="toccolours" width=70% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0047AB; color:#FFFFFF" | Regular season all-time attendance
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|- align="center" style="background:#eee;color:#000000;"
|width=75 |Year
|width=150|Average
|width=100|High
|width=100|Low
|width=75 |Sellouts
|width=150|Total for year
|width=150|WNBA game average
|- align="center"
| 1997 || 13,270 (2nd) || 18,051 || 8,554 || 0 || 185,786 || 9,669
|- align="center"
| 1998 || 14,935 (2nd) || 19,563 || 11,276 || 1 || 224,024 || 10,869
|- align="center"
| 1999 || 13,797 (2nd) || 16,782 || 10,940 || 0 || 220,748 || 10,207
|- align="center"
| 2000 || 14,498 (2nd) || 19,563 || 11,257 || 1 || 231,962 || 9,074
|- align="center"
| 2001 || 15,671 (1st) || 18,213 || 12,262 || 0 || 250,735 || 9,075
|- align="center"
| 2002 || 14,670 (2nd) || 19,563 || 12,037 || 1 || 234,717 || 9,228
|- align="center"
| 2003 || 12,491 (2nd) || 15,424 || 10,711 || 0 || 212,346 || 8,800
|- align="center"
| 2004 || 9,629 (3rd) || 15,698 || 5,945 || 0 || 163,686 || 8,613
|- align="center"
| 2005 || 10,145 (1st) || 12,543 || 7,897 || 0 || 172,471 || 8,172
|- align="center"
| 2006 || 9,120 (2nd) || 14,070 || 7,751 || 0 || 155,048 || 7,476
|- align="center"
| 2007 || 8,677 (2nd) || 11,341 || 6,267 || 0 || 147,506 || 7,742
|- align="center"
| 2008 || 9,045 (4th) || 19,393 || 6,928 || 0 || 153,772 || 7,948
|- align="center"
| 2009 || 9,800 (3rd) || 15,667 || 8,018 || 0 || 166,604 || 8,039
|- align="center"
| 2010 || 11,069 (1st) || 18,162 || 7,537 || 0 || 188,173 || 7,834
|- align="center"
| 2011 || 7,702 (8th) || 14,314 || 5,725 || 0 || 130,936 || 7,954
|}
Draft picks
- 1997 Elite: Kym Hampton (4), Vickie Johnson (12)
- 1997: Sue Wicks (6), Sophia Witherspoon (11), Trena Trice (22), Kisha Ford (27)
- 1998: Alicia Thompson (9), Nadine Domond (19), Albena Branzova (29), Vanessa Nygaard (39)
- 1999: Crystal Robinson (6), Michele Van Gorp (18), Tamika Whitmore (30), Carolyn Jones-Young (42)
- 2000: Olga Firsova (13), Desiree Francis (29), Jessica Bibby (45), Natalie Porter (61)
- 2001: Taru Tuukkanen (57), Tara Mitchem (60)
- 2002: Linda Frohlich (26), Tracy Gahan (46), Dee Dee Warley (62)
- 2003 MiamiMiami SolThe Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...
/PortlandPortland FireThe Portland Fire joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000 as the counterpart to the NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers. They played their games at Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The team folded after the 2002 season, after just three seasons in the league...
Dispersal Draft: Elena Baranova (11) - 2003: Molly Creamer (10), Erin Thorn (17), Sonja Mallory (24), Kristen Brook Sharp (26), Nicole Kaczmarski (39)
- 2004 ClevelandCleveland RockersThis article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...
Dispersal Draft: Ann Wauters (4) - 2004: Shameka Christon (5), Amisha Carter (17), Cathy Joens (30)
- 2005: Loree Moore (10), Tabitha Pool (23), Rebecca Richman (36)
- 2006: Sherill Baker (12), Brooke Queenan (23), Christelle N'Garsanet (37)
- 2007 CharlotteCharlotte StingThe Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
Dispersal Draft: Janel McCarville (3) - 2007: Tiffany Jackson (5), Shay Doron (16), Martina Weber (29)
- 2008: Essence Carson (7), Erlana Larkins (14), Wanisha Smith (27), Alberta Auguste (35)
- 2009 HoustonHouston CometsThe Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
Dispersal Draft: selection waived - 2009: Kia Vaughn (8), Abby Waner (21)
- 2010 SacramentoSacramento MonarchsThe Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009...
Dispersal Draft: Nicole Powell (1) - 2010: Kalana Greene (13), Ashley Houts (16), Cory Montgomery (25)
- 2011: Alex Montgomery (10), Angel Robinson (22), Mekia Valentine (34)
Trades
- December 15, 1999: The Liberty acquired Michele Van Gorp from the Portland Fire in exchange for Portland agreeing to select Sophia Witherspoon and Coquese Washington in the expansion draft.
- May 28, 2000: The Liberty traded Carolyn Jones-Young to the Portland Fire in exchange for Tari Phillips.
- February 24, 2006: The Liberty traded the 9th overall pick in the 2006 Draft to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Kelly Schumacher and the 12th overall pick in the 2006 Draft.
- April 4, 2007: The Liberty traded Becky Hammon and a second-round pick in the 2008 Draft to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for draft rights to Jessica Davenport and a first-round pick in the 2008 Draft.
- June 20, 2007: The Liberty traded Sherill Baker to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Lisa Willis.
- May 7, 2008: The Liberty traded a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Leiliani Mitchell.
- May 5, 2009: The Liberty traded a first-round pick in the 2010 Draft to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Sidney Spencer.
- March 30, 2010: The Liberty traded Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld to the Chicago Sky in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2010 Draft and Cappie Pondexter and Kelly Mazzante from the Phoenix Mercury. Phoenix received Candice Dupree from Chicago as part of this trade.
- April 11, 2011: The Liberty traded Angel Robinson to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Jessica Breland and a second-round pick in the 2012 Draft.
- April 11, 2011: The Liberty traded Kalana Greene to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Sydney Colson.
- May 27, 2011: The Liberty acquired Quanitra Hollingsworth from the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the right to swap third-round picks in the 2012 Draft.
- August 4, 2011: The Liberty traded Sidney Spencer to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Kara Braxton.
All-Stars
- 1999: Kym Hampton, Vickie Johnson, Rebecca Lobo, Teresa Weatherspoon
- 2000: Tari Phillips, Teresa Weatherspoon, Sue Wicks
- 2001: Vickie Johnson, Tari Phillips, Teresa Weatherspoon
- 2002: Tari Phillips, Teresa Weatherspoon
- 2003: Becky Hammon, Tari Phillips, Teresa Weatherspoon
- 2004: Becky Hammon
- 2005: Becky Hammon, Ann Wauters
- 2006: None
- 2007: None
- 2008: No All-Star Game
- 2009: Shameka Christon
- 2010: Cappie Pondexter
- 2011: Essence Carson, Cappie Pondexter
Honors and awards
- 1997 All-WNBA Second Team: Rebecca Lobo
- 1997 All-WNBA Second Team: Teresa Weatherspoon
- 1997 Defensive Player of the Year: Teresa Weatherspoon
- 1998 All-WNBA Second Team: Teresa Weatherspoon
- 1998 Defensive Player of the Year: Teresa Weatherspoon
- 1999 All-WNBA Second Team: Teresa Weatherspoon
- 2000 All-WNBA Second Team: Teresa Weatherspoon
- 2000 Most Improved Player: Tari Phillips
- 2001 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Sue Wicks
- 2002 All-WNBA Second Team: Tari Phillips
- 2005 All-WNBA Second Team: Becky Hammon
- 2007 Most Improved Player: Janel McCarville
- 2007 All-Defensive Second Team: Loree Moore
- 2010 All-WNBA First Team: Cappie Pondexter
- 2010 Most Improved Player: Leilani Mitchell
- 2010 All-Defensive First Team: Cappie Pondexter
- 2010 All-Rookie Team: Kalana Greene
- 2011 All-WNBA Second Team: Cappie Pondexter
- 2011 Most Improved Player: Kia Vaughn
External links
