After much disappointment and because of an unfinished injury, the New York Liberty head coach decided to fire her.
It can be challenging to embark on new endeavors. When you’re doing something new, it takes some time to become used to the new normal because you don’t know what to anticipate or how to negotiate the unfamiliar terrain. Things start to look better after you find your stride, even though the early going may be rough. With very good fortune, you may be able to accomplish something noteworthy along the way. And when you accomplish something exceptional, lifelong memories are made.
With the New York Liberty, 2023 has been an incredible journey. All eyes were on them in February, when this celebration first began. As the club set out to go on a deep run, forge a new identity, and elevate the WNBA to new heights, the expectations were great. The squad stated that they wanted to finish in the top four in 2023 during their farewell interviews in 2022. How did they fare in that regard?
The Liberty was an amazing ride all season long, with many highs and sporadic lows to balance things out. The Liberty have a lot to be proud of and learn from, even though they were unable to achieve their main objective of winning their first WNBA championship. They kept making a name for themselves as the best basketball squad in New York City. They have some of the best fans in the league and contributed to the league’s cultural expansion. The squad boasts bankable, high-profile players who advance the league. And the group is still well-liked both in the neighborhood and on the court. As co-owner of the Liberty and Brooklyn Nets, Clara Wu Tsai stated to Fortune Magazine’s Joseph Abrams and Emma Hinchliffe:
“We demonstrated that we are able to pack an arena with 17,000 people—not just any fans, but a fervent, committed fan base.”
Additionally, they took some time to discuss everything with the media during exit interviews before they formally shut down the chapter in 2023!
The players for the Aces started chatting after they won the title. Well, a whole lot of talking. Particularly insightful was Kelsey Plum, who was cited in a Yahoo Sports piece as saying the following:
Regarding the double-digit deficit, Plum remarked, “I think we knew we hadn’t played our best basketball.” “We also understood that, despite their apparent teamwork, they are not a team in the traditional sense. Despite being incredibly skilled gamers individually, they have no regard for one another. And in those times, you can tell. They go back to playing hoops alone.
That did not sit well with the Liberty or Liberty fans, as one might anticipate. When questioned about it initially, Jonathan Kolb provided a fairly detailed response.
In reaction to Kelsey Plum’s remarks, General Manager Jonathan Kolb refers to The Liberty as “a team personified.”
In addition to calling Plum’s remarks ridiculous, Sabrina Ionescu stated they couldn’t be further from the truth, and Breanna Stewart praised Vegas for its chip before declaring that Liberty will always conduct themselves with dignity, win or lose. When questioned about it, Jonquel Jones also stated:
“She’s not in our changing area. That struck me as being rather spartan. You’ve already taken home the title, so why do you feel the need to basically piss off someone else?”
