News Nets Team Notes

[Brooklyn Nets]

NY Liberty vs. Indiana Fever preview: Showcase Showdown on CBS

Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images

The New York Liberty close out a brief two game road trip with a national TV showdown against the Indiana Fever.

A record setting night. The New York Liberty made a WNBA record 19 three pointers as they cruised to a dominant road win against the Chicago Sky on Thursday night.

The opponent today is hoping to join the contenders club. The Indiana Fever shook things up in the off-season, starting from the head coach and everywhere in between. The Fever had to pull off a late comeback, but they got the job done on the road against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night.

Where to follow the game​

CBS is the place to be. Tip after 1 PM.

Injuries​

All clear for the Liberty.

Nothing doing for Indiana.

The game​

Get ready to run. The Fever have made a point of trying to get out in transition and getting early scoring opportunities.

Scoring on the inside is going to be a battle for the Fever. Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Nyara Sabally helped limit the Sky duo of Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese to a combined 3-16 from the field. The interior is not a comfortable place for opponents, especially when Stewart is out there

Aliyah Boston has been excellent to start this season, and she’ll have her hands full navigating the New York frontcourt. The Fever have worked to make her more of a hub in short rolls, and we’ve gotten to see much more of her arsenal. AB’s coming off of a poor game against the new Dream duo of Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner on Thursday, so look for her to be a bit more assertive now that she’s back at home.

For as much as the Liberty cruised to victory on Thursday, there’s still plenty to clean up. They turned the ball over 20 times and against a team with the firepower like Indiana, you’re begging for trouble if you do that again.

The two guard matchup should be incredibly fun. After a slow start last year, Kelsey Mitchell finished on a heater and carried that into this season. Every elite team needs at least two players who can go and get their own shot, and Mitchell can do that and then some for the Fever. She’ll get the matchup against Sabrina Ionescu this afternoon. Sab only needed 20 minutes of work on Thursday, and she was tasked with leading all bench units at points throughout the night. With all of the versatility on this roster, Sandy Brondello can afford to press a few different buttons and try a bunch of stuff out. With the season as long as it is, she and the team can afford to experiment some.

Player to watch: Caitlin Clark​

The Phenomenon returns. Everywhere Caitlin Clark goes, records follow. Whether it be ratings, triple doubles, attendance, whatever, she’s got it. After an amazing rookie season, she’s come back stronger and put on some more muscle to account for the physicality and tough defense she’ll see every night. And when you’re at the top of the scouting report, you better be ready to face your opponent’s best shot

Caitlin Clark and Rhyne Howard exchanged words after this Fever-Dream play. pic.twitter.com/nMiA2kvUOp

— espnW (@espnW) May 23, 2025​

I’ll just say this and move on, but if you’re trying to outrage farm on basic basketball things like that, you need to find something else to do.

In the meantime, we’ll see how she looks against an elite team like the Liberty. Indiana is still ironing some of the offense out, and I’ve seen Fever fans fuss online about Clark not having the ball in her hands as much as she should. It’ll be interesting to see how the Fever look when the Liberty see them again in a few weeks.

Natasha Cloud has been absolutely electric to start this season. Tash had another great day at the office on Thursday with 18 points and eight assists. She’ll be one of the many defenders who’ll get the Clark assignment today. Cloud is one of the best defenders in the league and someone that can consistently pick up full court.

Leonie Fiebich will also get the assignment at some point, and she’s shaking off the jet lag from her EuroLeague championship. The team has continued to praise Fiebich for her all around excellence and see even bigger things in store for their young star. Rebekah Gardner got more minutes on Thursday and looked solid as well. The great thing about the Liberty is they have a bunch of options they can throw at opposing guards to make things hard on them.

From the Vault​

Indiana and New York matching up always guarantees fireworks.

More reading: Swish Appeal, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/24...sabrina-ionescu-breanna-stewart-aliyah-boston

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Steve Hetzel, Brooklyn Nets assistant, seen as a potential Phoenix Suns head coach

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Seen as ‘unflappable,’ Jordi Fernandez’s No. 2, is one of a long list of finalists for latest head coach under Mat Ishbia

It’s hard to keep track of how many head coaches Mat Ishbia has had on his payroll with the Phoenix Suns since he took over as owner in February 2023. He’s tried both the steady and the star, but now, he’s got a new opportunity and Jordi Fernandez’s No. 2 is on his short list.

The Brooklyn Nets’ Steve Hetzel is indeed one of NINE candidates for the big job in Phoenix to replace Mike Budenholzer who Ishbia fired at the end of the Suns’ more-than-disappointing season, one in which despite Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal didn’t even make the playoffs. Before Coach Bud, the Suns owner dispatched Monty Williams who he inherited from former owner Robert Sarver, as well as Frank Vogel, who at least got the Suns into the playoffs in 2024 before being swept in the first round.

Hetzel is a coach’s coach. Before joining Fernandez. he had stints in the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers organizations, the last of which he was an assistant coach for the three seasons (2021-24) immediately before he got the call from Fernandez. He and Fernandez had first bonded while with the Canton Charge, the Cavs G League affiliate, a decade earlier.

There are number of other candidates, Minnesota assistant Micah Nori, Cleveland’s Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott, Dallas’ Sean Sweeney and New Orleans’ James Borrego as well as a holdover from Budenholzer’s staff former NBA head coach David Fizdale. (Ott and Sweeney are both former Nets assistants, Ott under Kenny Atkinson, Sweeney under Jason Kidd.)

What does Hetzel bring? Veteran Arizona Republic beat writer Duane Rankin profiled Hetzel on Friday. He described Hetzel as both a player’s coach and “unflappable.”

Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel is viewed in NBA circles as someone who “deeply cares” about seeing players and coaches succeed.

There’s also a toughness about Hetzel that makes him the ideal person to have in the trenches of competition, league sources say.

One source called Hetzel “unflappable” in describing his composure and calm demeanor.

More than one Nets player praised Hetzel specifically for his player-centric qualities and three weeks ago, in an joint interview with the Nets’ internal communications team, the two talked about their relationship ... in which both described their relationship as a brotherhood...

Over a decade of brotherhood built on friendship, honesty, and loyalty.

Dive into the special bond between Head Coach Jordi Fernández and Assistant Coach Steve Hetzel → https://t.co/0THeL6sC6l pic.twitter.com/Bzt6oC88ou

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 30, 2025​

“I want nothing but success for him,” Hetzel said about Fernandez in the video. “I want us to have success. I want the Brooklyn Nets to have success, but I want him to be successful because he’s like a brother to me.”

“The friendship, the loyalty is there because we know it,” Fernandez said in returning the compliment. “We kept that and now work-wise, I can see how much he’s grown. He’s done different things, I’ve done different things as well and I think that makes us even better as a group.”

Hetzel got his most recent head coaching experience last summer with the Nets in Summer League. Fernandez was in Toronto working with Team Canada in anticipation of the Olympics.

Rankin wrote that Hetzel’s move up the NBA ladder from a job as a video coordinator with the Spurs right out of Michigan State to Nets associate head coach is a big asset for Hetzel.

League sources say Hetzel “didn’t skip steps” in his journey.

He’s viewed as someone who builds and maintains relationships on all levels, from front office to coaches and players, doing so in an authentic fashion.

He also may have another advantage. Both Hetzel and Ishbia got their starts under legendary Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, Ishbia as a player for the Spartans from 1999 through 2002 and Hetzel behind the scenes as a student manager from 2003 through 2005. That connection, like the one he’s had with Fernandez, can’t hurt.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/26...t-seen-as-a-potential-phoenix-suns-head-coach

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Season of Our Lives: Trade? Did someone say trade? This guy might.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Punditry is now moved on from the Draft to the possibility of trades just before or just after June 25. A couple of pundits gave it a shot this week.

It is a maxim among Brooklyn Nets fans that Sean Marks will make a move at the Draft. Either a couple of days before Adam Silver takes the podium or a couple days after, the Nets GM has historically been active. Eight times in his nine years running the Nets, he’s made deals ... both big and small.

Some were transformative like last year’s trades with the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks or the Clean Sweep or Brook Lopez and Kyle Kuzma for the Lakers D’Angelo Russell. Others were small, like a salary dump to find extra space for the acquisition of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But two nights stand out when looking at the potential for June 25-26 this year at Barclays Center.

In 2016, on the morning of his first Draft as GM, Marks traded Thaddeus Young, one of his only NBA quality players, for the 20th pick in the first round which he used on Caris LeVert. Then in the second round, he used several million dollars of Mikhail Prokhorov’s billions to move up 13 places in the second round to take local product Isaiah Whitehead.

Five years later, the Nets seemed locked into Day’Ron Sharpe at No. 27. Then in the early evening of the Draft, they traded Landry Shamet to the Suns for Jevon Carter and the 29th pick, permitting them to draft not only Sharpe, but Cam Thomas as well.

Why do these moves resonate now with Brooklyn owning the rights to the 8th, 19th, 26th, 27th and 26th picks in what is seen as generational draft that has the added benefit of being deep? Because at least fans were disappointed in the Nets draft position, falling from the sixth best odds to the eighth, putting them out of the range for many top prospects.

So, with that in mind, the trade machine gears are grinding and more than one pundit believes he has the solution: trading up. Time to work the phones, Mr. Marks?

In the last two days, two reporters who cover the Nets have offered their takes on the possibility of yet another big move.

In the scenarios, offered by Steve Lichtenstein on Friday and Erik Slater on Thursday follow a proscribed path: Cam Johnson is seen as the ideal piece for any draft deal. The 6’8” forward is coming off this best season, not just in terms of stats, but in terms of his expanding games. He might be someone a contender could be interested, the final piece.

Lichtenstein offered his thoughts on his Steve’s Newsletter substack. While as we’ve noted before, a number of people think using CJ as a lure to attract the 76ers into a deal where the Nets deal Johnson and one or two or three of their five picks for the No. 3 pick and some of the onerous contracts weighing down whatever playoff hopes there still exist in Philly.

Lichtenstein asks why “waste” all that capital on the “flawed Ace Bailey” or V.J. Edgecombe. Instead, he suggests that Brooklyn and Marks think bigger. Go for the No. 2 pick and everyone’s second most likely sure thing, Bailey’s Rutgers teammate, Dylan Harper!

San Antonio already boasts 2023 All-Star De’Aaron Fox and 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle to act as primary ballhandlers. Even if Chris Paul walks in free agency, is Harper the best fit they can conceive with such a prime pick?

If I were in charge of both clubs, I might consider the following:

Nets get: No. 2 overall, Keldon Johnson

Spurs get: Cam Johnson, No. 8 and No. 27, and a 2026 second rounder

Johnson, who has two years and a reasonable $43 million left on his team, seems very Spurish, thinks Lichtenstein. “a high-IQ, three-level scorer that has NBA Finals experience” (with the Suns.) Harper, on the other hand, would give the Nets a lead guard for the future and one with star quality (and a New York area home address.)

Slater of Clutch Points — the only beat writer to actually attend the NBA Draft Combine, notes that B.J. Johnson, the Nets assistant GM and the man in direct charge of the Nets Draft the past five years, hinted about the possibility of trades in his appearance in SCOUT, the Nets docuseries on the Draft.

“The draft is so unpredictable. You never know what’s gonna happen,” Slater quotes Johnson from SCOUT. “Picks get traded, players get traded, situations change constantly. So you have to approach the draft the exact same way. Gathering all the intel, being able to understand who a player is and who he will be for your organization.”

That quote may indeed be general — and it was recorded last September, but Slater like Lichtenstein, thinks the Nets would benefit from at least considering a move up the board. Like Lichtenstein, Harper is a big prize but he writes as well about the Philly pick at No. 3 and its intriguing position going forward.

Philadelphia is juggling two timelines after performing well below expectations during an injury-ravaged 2024-25 campaign. One revolves around 31-year-old Joel Embiid and 35-year-old Paul George, while the other centers on 24-year-old Tyrese Maxey and 21-year-old Jared McCain. If Daryl Morey is hell-bent on maximizing Embiid’s title window, he could use the No. 3 pick to acquire win-now pieces rather than waiting several years for a 19-year-old to develop.

Brett Siegel, Slater’s colleague at Clutch Points, adds to the speculation Saturday.

Rival teams are expecting GM Sean Marks to try and acquire a second lottery pick by utilizing the 19th, 26th, and 27th picks in the first round of this year’s draft. There has also been some talk sprouting from last week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago that Brooklyn is coming up with potential scenarios to move up from the eighth overall selection.

Which team picking above them would be interested in doing business with the Nets? The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t given any indications that they are open to trading the third pick, at least as of yet, and the same can be said about the Charlotte Hornets with the fourth pick. Then there are the San Antonio Spurs at No. 2 and the Utah Jazz at No. 5, two organizations that always have tricks up their sleeves when it comes to moving around in the draft.

Beyond those scenarios there are others not involving players or salary dumps, perhaps packaging, aka consolidating, the Nos. 8 and 19 to move up a little higher.

Of course as Lichtenstein writes, this is all done without the benefit of insider knowledge, in other words, it’s, at least at this point, “fun speculation.”

Who do Marks and Johnson like? Don’t know. Who have they fallen in love with, if anyone? Don’t know. What other scenarios might they consider, perhaps bundling some of their future picks? Don’t know.

At this point, it’s a pretty good bet their heart’s desire is one of these players, putting aside Cooper Flagg who the Mavericks aren’t even thinking of parting with: There’s Harper and Bailey, Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, Noa Essengue or Khaman Maluach. That’s nine players. So one of them is almost certainly going to be available if the Nets hold on to the eighth pick. That’s not a bad way of looking at things. And of course, Marks and Johnson may look at their five picks and think, this is a deep draft; we’re bound to come away with a lot of talent.

It’s academic for now, but when the Sean Marks Trade Zone opens on June 23, don’t be surprised if things happen... again.

• Nets’ draft could center around Duke star — but not that one ($) - Brian Lewis - New York Post

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/23/24436256/trade-did-someone-say-trade-this-guy-might

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

NetsDaily Off-Season Report: No. 6

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Every weekend, we’ll be updating the Nets’ off-season with bits and pieces of information, gossip, etc. to help fans get ready for ... whatever.

First things first. The speculation about the Brooklyn Nets working a deal for the overall No. 2 pick on June 25 is just that, speculation. It’s not a rumor based on what’s been heard around the league. No, it’s driven by various pundits who think Sean Marks & co. will try to get beyond their disappointment following the NBA Lottery and go for broke, combining assets — picks and/or Cam Johnson — to pull Dylan Harper away from the Spurs.

Indeed, the only real report, only real rumor, goes in the other direction. Marc Stein of The SteinLine substack reported.

San Antonio has likewise attempted to convey a desire to rival teams that it intends to keep the No. 2 overall pick in next month’s draft to select Rutgers’ Dylan Harper.

Maybe it will happen, but according to people we’ve spoken with, it is somewhere between unlikely and very unlikely. Said one league source, “I don’t see how they can get to No. 2,” citing the lack of assets to make that big of a move.

Obviously, there are a lot of creative people in NBA front offices, but going from No. 8 to the overall No. 2 in a generational draft is literally a stretch. Sure it’s happened but it’s unlikely that the 76ers now think trading Markelle Fultz for Jayson Tatum was smart. Similarly, to a lesser degree, the Hawks would rethink Trae Young for Luka Doncic if given the chance.

The same source we spoke with said the Nets are likely to get a “good player” at No. 8 if they keep it. Indeed, the Nos. 8 and 19 picks, if they keep them, will be the highest and second highest picks the franchise has made since they practiced at what is now the Meadowlands YMCA. As for the remaining picks, he like virtually everyone outside the eighth floor of 168 39th Street in Sunset Park in on the record believing the Nets will not use all four first rounders, at Nos. 8, 19, 27 and 28 as well as the second rounder at No. 36.

“It is impossible to house four rookies on the roster,” the source said, citing the development issues with so many young players. “All those picks don’t look good when they are 26th and 27 picks.”

So he expects the Nets to make moves with their firsts, but not as dramatic as those proposed by pundits. Get a second first next year. Get another lottery pick this year. As we’ve noted, if history is any guide, we won’t know till much closer to the draft which is still a month away. Remain calm.

It’s going to be a long off-season with some dates known, like the Draft on June 25-26. followed in rapid order, the deadlines for player options, qualifying offers, offer sheets, free agency, etc., all within the next week week. There will be a lot of speculation along the way then.

The best guide to viewing any speculation is that the rebuild has at least another year to run, likely more. There’s no great urgency we’ve detected, no panic. Remember what B.J. Johnson, the assistant GM, said in the first and so far only edition of SCOUT:

“We don’t look at this as just a one time thing, this could set us up for the next five, 10 years of our organization,” said Johnson in a scouts’ meeting in September 2024 . “So to me, personally, we get these next three years right, we’re in a really good position.” (Emphasis ours.)

That comment, apparently referring to the current front office team, hints the rebuild is going to take another two years, much like Marks first rebuild which had two lean years followed a more promising third year, then the Clean Sweep that summer. Separately, we’ve been told that that a three-year window starting a year ago is the timetable.

No two rebuilds are going to be identical, even with the same people in charge. The Nets entered this one with far more assets than they did when Marks et al were hired in 2016. They have the league’s most draft picks when nine years ago, they had none, literally, in the first three years. They also have experience, good and bad. But some things remain the same. They’re still in New York, still have a mega-wealthy ownership group willing to spend.

Yes, things can change like they did sometime last spring when ownership and management agreed to rebuild and made those two trades on January 25. As of now, though, it’s stay the course.

Ellie revealed ... sort of.​

Ellie is everywhere. The New York Liberty mascot is currently starring in a State Farm Insurance commercial ...

...and soon will be teaming up with the Liberty Mutual emu as part of a new marketing deal that makes specific mention of her value. She has nearly 200,000 TikTok followers, more than 150,00 on Instagram, has represented Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and luxury brand Off-White and is the first celebrity spokesperson for nail-polish company Essie.

She even received an (oversized) championship ring on May 17 at the Liberty’s championship celebration.

And this week, Ellie the Elephant was featured in the august pages of the Wall Street Journal which did a business profile.

The WSJ’s Rory Satran revealed among other things that the proud performer in the pachyderm suit, anonymous since she arrived on the scene at Barclays Center in 2021, is a 5’10” Brooklyn native who wears custom size-12 Nike Sabrina 2 “By Big Ellie” sneakers, has a background in dance and, is the sole inhabitant of the suit in question since Day 1. And so far, neither her name nor her face has been revealed.

“The Liberty has taken the idea of mascots and elevated it to the next level,” Alexy Posner, the founder of athlete and talent management firm AP Group, told Satran.

Indeed, Ellie is not a mascot so much as an influencer and her followers a herd... with a love of fashion and style. Per Satran:

And they’re buying Ellie merchandise. Last season, the Liberty sold out of Ellie stuffed animals on opening night. This season, New York Liberty chief executive officer Keia Clarke said they had ordered 10 times more of them, which she called “unheard of in merchandising.” Fans also buy clip-on versions of Ellie’s long braid, and on June 1, they will be able to buy a version of her “Hersey” (a portmanteau of “her” and “jersey”) dress.

It’s not as if the Liberty is going over old territory. Ellie, as a woman representing a woman’s team, dressed in fashionable clothes, is a new phenomenon, as Satran also notes in the Journal. It has also had its challenges.

When Essie first had the idea to work with the New York Liberty and Ellie to promote its nail products, there was one crucial challenge.

“Ellie didn’t even have nails, but we knew that she was so relevant,” said Zoe Housman, the VP head of marketing & strategic projects at L’Oreal. So Ellie’s mascot builder got to work and a nailfluencer was born. Ellie showed off her new nails in social-media videos.

Housman reported that engagement rates were up over 200% on Instagram and 57% on TikTok, and sales on the gel products increased 15% after the Ellie campaign.

Bottom line: BSE Global knows marketing, whether it’s an anthropomorphic elephant strutting the sidelines at a women’s basketball game or a campaign to build a Nets fanbase in French-speaking in Montreal. It all seems unlikely until it works.

“You would think that it would be a natural part of a women’s sports organization,” Keia Clarke, CEO of the Liberty, told WSJ. “We’re happy to be leading this conversation.”

Indeed, it should be noted that Ellie is trademarked by the Tsais’ parent company and the anonymous performer is an employee, not a contractor or free agent. She gets compensated separately for her time spent working on brand deal but the Liberty reaps the big benefits.

Will the Nets follow suit and get a mascot of their own, sans the handbags? No one is saying, maybe because matching Ellie would be pretty hard.

China approaches​

The Nets preseason trip to Macao, the Las Vegas of southern China, is looking good. Geopolitical tensions seem to have relaxed a big between the U.S. and China and neither country has been above using sports as a way to signal flexibility in their relations.

The games, at the Venetian Hotel with its 14,000 capacity, will open the Nets preseason and if what our special correspondent (who was at the D’Angelo Russell’s promotional event in Beijing earlier in the week) sent us some pictures this weekend of just how big the NBA China Games will be. Promotions are everywhere.

On city buses…

Next to city landmarks…

And soon at a new NBA store ...

This is of course a big deal for the NBA. For the first time since 2019, the ill-fated Lakers-Nets visit, the league is back in the People’s Republic, in part because of Joe Tsai’s efforts. It’s also a big deal for the Brooklyn Nets who are making their record-setting third trip to China, breaking a tie with the Lakers having played in Beijing and Guangzhou in 2010, then Shenzen and Shanghai in 2019 and now two games in Macao. It is also the ninth international trip the Nets have made since 1996.

Besides the three trips to China, the Nets have also played games in France, England, Mexico, Italy, Israel and Canada and practiced once in Russia. They were even the first NBA team to make a round-the-world trip back in 2010 with stops in Moscow, Shanghai and Guangzhou before returning across the Pacific to Brooklyn. Also, a lot of international teams over the years have visited Barclays Center in preseason, from Turkey to Israel to Brazil.

Did we mention that BSE Global knows how to market their brands?

In another China note, Jacky Cui, who played for the Nets under a two-way deal last season before tearing his ACL in December, will be a game analyst during the NBA Finals for TenCent, who holds Chinese TV and streaming rights for the NBA.

That likely means that Cui, who is still rehabbing his ACL in New York, will be the most heard analyst on TV worldwide during the Finals ... speaking Chinese. You never know where the NBA will take you.

Draft Sleeper of the Week​

Until we hear differently, we’ll keep highlighting draft prospects who could fall to the Nets at any one of their four picks. So, in that spirit, we are taking a look at Maxime Raynaud, the 22-year-old 7’1” Stanford center from Paris who Tankathon has the Nets taking him at No. 27.

Raynaud was one of the big winners at the NBA Combine in Chicago, ESPN reports. He had a good rep coming in after averaging 20.6 points and 10.2 rebounds on 47/35/77.

Wrote Jonathan Givony last week:

Raynaud was one of the big winners at the combine, being arguably the most impressive performer of the scrimmages, after measuring over 7 feet barefoot with a huge 9-2 standing reach. Raynaud’s ability to stretch the floor as a center is valuable in today’s NBA, but the fact he more than held his own defensively in Chicago, both hedging screens out to the 3-point line and altering shots at the rim, was just as important.

He also posted a 31.5” max vertical, a solid number for a seven-footer, better in fact that Khaman Maluach of Duke and South Sudan and Hansen Yang of China, both of him turned in 30” max verticals, and three and a half inches better than Derik Queen of Maryland. Of the bigs on hand in Chicago, Asa Newell of Georgia registered the most impressive number, 36.5”.

He has quite the back story: an engineering major who was a walk-on at Stanford...

Maxime Raynaud jumped to the No. 22 spot in the ESPN Top 100 after his strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine. The 7'1 French big made 67 3s in 35 games this season.

Didn't fully focus on basketball until his senior year of high school, committing to Stanford as a walk-on. pic.twitter.com/yar50bsadJ

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 22, 2025​

Raynaud has some unsurprising weaknesses, as Draft veteran Aran Smith of NBADraft.net wrote last month.

Can struggle with quicker bigs or stretch-fives who pull him away from the paint … Offensively, he’s reliant on touches near the basket and isn’t a player who can create his own shot in isolation … His shooting form is solid, but the volume and consistency from three still need to improve to be considered a legitimate floor-spacing big … Despite four years in college, he’s still learning how to impose himself physically.

Still, Smith sees some potential as well. His bottom line:

High character prospect with international experience and a professional demeanor …

His NBA comparison, per Smith, is Luke Kornet who went undrafted. Here is the requisite highlight package:

Final Note​

Hope for news.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/26/24437014/netsdaily-off-season-report-no-6

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

NY Liberty vs. Golden State Valkyries preview: Welcome back, Kayla Thornton!

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

The New York Liberty return home from the Midwest and will be welcoming back one of the heroes from their 2024 WNBA championship.

Great teams are always up for great challenges, and the Liberty answered the call. On Saturday afternoon, the Indiana Fever gave New York all it could handle, but the champs did just enough to hang on and survive in front of a raucous, sold out Indianapolis crowd. We’ll see Indiana again.

The opponent tonight are the new kids on the block! This is the inaugural season for the Golden State Valkyries, and the newest WNBA team has gotten off to a pretty solid start. They were on the road Friday night and survived a late Los Angeles Sparks rally to come away with the victory.

Where to follow the game​

My9 on TV, Fox Local and Liberty Live for digitals. Tip after 7:00 p.m. ET.

Injuries​

Nyara Sabally was a late scratch on Saturday with a right knee injury. She is listed as questionable. Leonie Fiebich left Saturday’s game with a right shin injury. She was a full participant at practice on Monday and is not on the injury report, so she should be good to go tonight.

Tiffany Hayes took an elbow to the face on Wednesday and missed Friday’s game. She’s listed as questionable. Monique Billings missed Friday’s game with a right ankle injury. She’s listed as questionable. Cecilia Zandalasini has yet to play this season due to a foot injury and will miss tonight’s game.

The game​

The thing about being a new team is it takes time to find its footing. Everything is brand new and year one is all about establishing style of play and finding players who fit into your vision of the future. So far so good on that front. After a career best 19 points in 23 minutes off the bench on Friday, Carla Leite got the postgame interview on the broadcast, and phoned a friend to help her out

Carla Leite getting the assist from Janelle Salaün in the postgame interview This team!

— Taka Kauri (@takakauri.bsky.social) 2025-05-24T04:08:11.971Z

That’s really cool! To learn more about Carla, check out this video from my main man Taka Kauri!

The Liberty defense will look to keep Leite out of the paint tonight. Natasha Cloud in particular will look to build on her game saving steal against Caitlin Clark on Saturday afternoon. She’s been absolutely outstanding in her first week with the Liberty, and her combination of confidence and clutch play will serve the Liberty well the deeper we go into the season.

It’s AAPI Night at Barclays Center, and here’s the breakdown of the programming in store for fans at the arena

Pulling up to our AAPI Night tomorrow? Swipe for everything you need to know!

️ limited tix available: https://t.co/6UhApw12XX#SEAFOAMSZN | #LIGHTITUPNYL pic.twitter.com/RHR1NAPSTG

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 26, 2025​

Jonquel Jones saved the day in the fourth quarter on Saturday, and the Liberty will turn to her once again tonight. Her combination of touch, deep shooting, and post magic make her one of the most valuable players in the sport and someone the Liberty can always count on down the stretch. The Valkyries employ only one center in Temi Fagbenle, who will be tasked with battling JJ and controlling the glass for her team.

Player to watch: Kayla Thornton​

Hi, KT! Kayla Thornton will be back in New York after she was selected by the Valkyries in the Expansion Draft. Thornton meant a lot to the Liberty in her two seasons here and is someone that will forever be loved and appreciated in New York. Thornton will be getting her championship ring tonight, and I’m sure the fans at Barclays Center and watching at home will give her a rousing standing ovation. In shootaround, Kayla got to see her old friends and it was an emotional moment for everyone

Reunited and it feels so good pic.twitter.com/sLmHZasr4E

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 27, 2025​

She’s taken on a new role this season with Golden State and is taking almost eight three pointers a game. KT’s only made 13 percent of them, but when you get quality looks, you have to keep shooting and trust that they’ll go in.

KT will get the matchup of guarding Breanna Stewart. Stewie didn’t shoot well on Saturday, but made up for it by getting to the free throw line ten times and playing great defense in the fourth quarter. She’s talked before about how tough KT is as a defender, so she’ll have to go into her memory banks to figure out ways to win her matchup tonight.

From the Vault​

Winning the championship on your birthday? Hell of a way for KT to celebrate!

More reading: Team Thirteen Valkyries Blog, The Valkyries Blog, Swish Appeal, Chicago Sun Times, Women’s Basketball Roundup, No Cap Space, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/27...-kayla-thornton-breanna-stewart-jonquel-jones

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty smoke Golden State Valkyries 95-67 in Kayla Thornton’s return

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Between KT’s ring and a Marine Johannès explosion, another joyous night at Barclays Center

The New York Liberty smothered the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday night’s home game, moving to 4-0 for the third time in franchise history. After building a 20-point lead by the early second quarter, the rest of the game was a war with boredom featuring semi-successful efforts from the Liberty to maintain their focus.

Like last week’s victory over the Chicago Sky, this gave Sandy Brondello areas to rightfully criticize in the postgame session.

“We still gave up a lot of threes,” she accurately noted, though the WNBA’s newest franchise is leading the league in 3-point attempts so far. Golden State may be at a constant talent deficit, exacerbated when facing the historically great 2025 Liberty, but they showed up to Barclays Center with a rigid gameplan and indefatigable spirit, even after getting welcomed with a sucker punch.

Thus, the Valkyries halved their deficit by midway through third quarter, continuing a pattern for the Liberty. When asked why her team has been struggling out of the locker room to start this season quarters, Brondello said: “I’m not sure. We’re just not bringing the same amount of energy. It’s always tough when you’re up, but that’s no excuse. We just got to be locked in and come out [of halftime] being a little bit more intentional.”

Honestly though, it is an excuse. The sloppy turnovers before New York put the game away in the early fourth quarter were, by definition, avoidable, but the Liberty were up by orders of touchdowns by the first media break...

nice backdoor dime and we got a football score rn: pic.twitter.com/37fAXxUTag

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 27, 2025​

Breanna Stewart led the charge with 24 efficient points, as the Liberty shot exactly 50% from the floor, and much higher than that early on. But Stewie was not the fan-favorite at Barclays Center on Tuesday night.

In their second home game of the year, the Liberty crowd got a patented Marine Johannès explosion. She shot 6-of-11, all from three, and it only took one make for her to start pulling out one-legged runners from beyond the arc...

Marine Johannès (5/27/25) pic.twitter.com/pXn8jbjbTn

— @balapattyszn (@balapattyvids) May 28, 2025​

Johannès, as her teammates and coaches have asked her to do, hunted opportunities against Golden State. Even when she passed up an open jumper, she perhaps over-corrected and shot the contested look anyway, and it led to her tying her career-high with those six threes.

Said Stewie: “I think for Marine, she was just like, finding her rhythm. And especially at home, you know, she has that confidence, knowing that one falls in, next one goes in.”

The Liberty did not benefit from her aggressiveness as much as the rest of us, though. Johannès, even in a limited role coming off the bench for a WNBA title contender, is still one of the coolest athletes in the world. The Wizard is a perfect nickname for a woman who looks like she should get knocked over by a strong breeze, but takes over games by making shots as she flies out of bounds.

It didn’t matter that Sabrina Ionescu scored just eight points, or that Leonie Fiebich took just four shots, or that Jonquel Jones’ 13/10/5 performance also featured frustrating stretches and a technical foul. The Liberty crowd got what they came for, not to mention other encouraging signs like Natasha Cloud’s ten assists or Rebekah Gardner continuing to be a force off the bench.

Rarely does a game go by without a forceful reminder of what an incredible collection of talent the New York Liberty have assembled.

Final Score: New York Liberty 95, Golden State Valkyries 67

Kayla Thornton returns​

And just to think, the always affable Kayla Thornton is no longer on this team. She was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft this past offseason, and luckily, she only had to wait until the fourth game of the season to return to her former home.

They still love KT here...

Once a Liberty, ALWAYS a Liberty pic.twitter.com/NL7YumdZsz

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 27, 2025​

Thornton’s playing time wavered in last year’s playoffs given the emergence of Leonie Fiebich and offensive talents of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. But in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the team desperately needed Thornton’s strength and chaotic energy. She played 21 minutes in the franchise’s greatest victory of all time, characteristically committing five fouls while recording a steal and a block to push them over the edge.

“We wouldn’t have won without her,” said Breanna Stewart of her ex-teammate. “You know, she was a huge impact on our team last year, and we miss her, but excited to see her kind of step and grow into her own role with the Valkyries.”

Prior to the game, General Manager Jonathan Kolb presented Thornton with her well-earned 2024 championship ring. The crowd gave her a standing ovation...

Kayla Thornton received her championship ring and flowers before the game tonight. #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/L0WbOaGlgt

— Alford Corriette (@alfcorriette) May 27, 2025​

Said Thornton: “I don’t even want to get emotional again, but, [the fans] are amazing. And I know I’m at a new team, and my Golden State fans are great, too. But New York fans will always, always hold a special place in my heart.”

Kolb also presented former assistant Ohemaa Nyanin with her ring; Nyanin joined Thornton in Golden State this past offseason, as she is now the GM of the Valkyries.

Milestone Watch​

• Natasha Cloud passed Skylar Diggins for 10th on the WNBA’s all-time assists list, though that battle will likely continue all season
• Similarly, Jonquel Jones moved past Brittney Griner for 20th on the WNBA’s all-time rebounds list

Injury Report​

Nyara Sabally missed her second straight game with a right knee ailment, though the Liberty are simply calling it discomfort. Sandy Brondello doesn’t seem too worried about her backup big’s long-term outlook: “We all know Nyara’s had some knee issues in the past. The knee is fine, we just want to make sure with four games in six days that we don’t overload it.”

Expect her to play later in the week.

Next Up​

It’s a rematch, and the last time the Valkyries will play at Barclays Center this season. Tip-off for the second game of this mini-set is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/28...alkyries-95-67-kayla-thronton-marine-johannes

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Jack Ma, who founded Alibaba with Joe Tsai, joining Liberty investors

Photo by Julien Mattia/NBAE via Getty Images

One of China’s richest men as founder of Alibaba is the newest investor in the Liberty along with five successful American women, per an announcement by the team.

Jack Ma, one of China’s richest and most famous businessmen as the founder of Alibaba, is joining the Liberty’s investors, along with five women, an eclectic group of fund managers, a supermodel and the daughters of two top American sportsmen, the Liberty announced on Tuesday.

nylibertybr via x.com

Each of the American investors have family connections to pro sports. They include daughters of former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry and the Baltimore Orioles principal owner as well as the wife of a minority owner in the Memphis Grizzlies. Others include a previous investor in the WNBA and a member of the NIKE board of directors.

Ma appears to be the lead investor in the group which reportedly will receive a stake in the “mid-teens,” per Bloomberg, for an undisclosed cash infusion. The investment still must be approved by the WNBA board of governors. The cash will be used, according to the team, for the construction of the team’s yet-unnamed $80 million training facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It’s this investment that vaulted the Liberty to a valuation of $450 million, the most ever for a professional women’s sports franchise.

Ma, who along with 17 other investors including Tsai founded Alibaba in a Huangzhou apartment 26 years ago, became one of Chinese richest men and a colorful entrepreneur as the e-commerce giant soared in value, topped off by a New York Stock Exchange offering in 2014 in which the company raised $25 billion.

It was a second initial public offering involving a financial spinoff, ANT, that led to his downfall. It was canceled by Chinese financial regulators in November 2020, ostensibly to tighten regulation of the sector but by most accounts, it was driven by Ma’s comments about the Chinese banking system’s “pawn shop” mentality. The company was ultimately fined more than $2.5 billion and Ma essentially became a non-person in China,

In recent months, however, Ma has been rehabilitated as the country’s leadership has turned to the private sector to spur the economy. He was famously seen in February at a meeting between Chinese president Xi Jingping, his presence seen as a symbol of a truce between the Communist Party and private business. The investment in the Liberty will no doubt be seen in China as another indicator he is back in public life. Ma has an estimated net worth of $39 billion and remains Alibaba’s leading stockholder. Tsai is chairman of ‘BABA.

Tsai and Ma have been close throughout Ma’s rise, fall and rise again. In a statement announcing his inclusion in the new list of investors, Tsai said this:

“Jack has been a trusted business partner to me, and I’m thrilled to have another opportunity to create meaningful impact together,” said Joe Tsai, who is the alternate governor of the Liberty as well as governor of the Nets. “He is a passionate supporter of women’s sports and I know he is excited to help us build an enduring franchise.”

It seems unlikely that the hyper entrepreneurial Ma will be a passive investor.

Ma, wearing Brooklyn Nets gear, appeared with the Tsais at the Nets game in Paris last year vs. the Cavaliers. No indication of a Ma interest in the Nets which as part of BSE Global like the the Liberty, is owned 85% by the Tsais through their family office, Blue Capital, and 15% by the family of Julia Koch who bought in last June.

The other investors, again all women, bring a variety of backgrounds. “each of whom is a fierce advocate for women across industries including sports.” said Tsai.

• Karlie Kloss is listed on the announcement as a “supermodel, entrepreneur, and philanthropist” who’s appeared on more than 40 Vogue covers. One of Kloss’ businesses tries to revive so-called legacy brands, most recently acquiring the rights to LIFE magazine. She is married to Josh Kushner, himself an entrepreneur, a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies and the brother of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law.
• Karen Finerman is a prominent businesswoman, investment strategist and a previous investor in the WNBA. She appears regularly on CNBC’s Fast Money. She is also the author of the NY Times bestseller Finerman’s Rules: Secrets I’d Only Tell My Daughters About Business and Life.
• Thasunda Brown Duckett is President and CEO of TIAA, a leading provider of secure retirements and investment solutions for millions of people and thousands of institutions. She has drawn from her own experience as an athlete, where she said sports built her “confidence, grit, and leadership capabilities.” She’s on the NIKE board of directors.
• Samantha Lasry, the daughter of former Milwaukee Bucks governor Marc Lasry, is politically active in women’s rights and reproductive health and served in the Africa Bureau of the U.S. State Department. Her father recently spoke about the growth in women’s sports as investment opportunity.
• Gabriella Rubenstein who runs her own investment Manna Tree, a private equity firm focused on improving human health through investments in the global food and health supply chain. Rubenstein is the daughter of David Rubenstein, principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles and co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest investment firms.

Kloss attended last night’s Liberty-Valkyries game and issued a statement on the rationale for her investment…

“We are pleased to welcome Jack, Karen, Thasunda, Karlie, Gabrielle and Samantha to the New York Liberty family,” said team Governor Clara Wu Tsai. “We are fortunate to partner with these entrepreneurs and leaders whose exceptional achievements span technology, finance, business, and culture.”

Indeed, the last week has been active for the Tsais as investors.

On Wednesday. Sports Business Journal reported that the league approved the sale of a piece of Joe Tsai’s already small stake in the Miami Dolphins to a trio of smaller investors, not identified. Tsai brought 2,9% of the franchise a little more than a month ago at a reported price of more than $200 million. The transaction approved by the NFL will transfer a third of that — 1.1% — to the trio, according to the SBJ.

On Thursday, the newly formed Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) announced that the Tsai family office is its lead seed investor. The AUBL expects to start play in August with college teams from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. It hopes to develop homegrown Asian talent.

Tsai owns pieces of teams in the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLS and the National Lacrosse League. He also owns big pieces of the Premier Lacrosse Lacrosse and its recent spinoff, the Women’s Lacrosse League.

• Alibaba Billionaire, Supermodel Headline New Liberty Investors - Jack Horney - Front Office Sports
• New York Liberty’s New Investors Include Jack Ma, Karlie Kloss - Jason Clinkscales - Sportico
• Victoria Secret model takes up WNBA role alongside Chinese billionaire after $450M deal - Andrew Gamble - Daily Mirror
• Liberty Announce New Strategic Investors - Geoff Maglioccetti - Sports Illustrated

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/27...ibaba-with-joe-tsai-joining-liberty-investors

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty survive let-down game, beat Golden State Valkyries 82-77

Photo by Catalina Fragoso /NBAE via Getty Images

The Golden State Valkyries proved themselves a formidable adversary, but the footage of this game will not be sent to Springfield. Though, given Breanna Stewart’s heroism, maybe it should be.

Though the New York Liberty would never admit it, they were staring down the barrel of a trap game Thursday night.

They had just demolished the Golden State Valkyries two nights earlier, and were repeating the matchup at Barclays Center, though without Jonquel Jones (hamstring) and Nyara Sabally, missing her third straight game with knee soreness.

Before the game, Sandy Brondello assured the media neither injury was much to worry about, even with Sabally’s history of knee issues. Thursday night was also the first night of a back-to-back (with travel) for the Liberty, in the middle of a four-games-in-six-nights stretch. (Hence, the trap.)

Brondello also touched on the Liberty’s biggest issue in the early season: rebounding. Whether they’ve just been bored after building huge leads early or if it’s just been an unfortunate variance in a small-sample size, it needs to change.

It did not in their fifth game of the season. The Valkyries grabbed seven o-boards in the first quarter, confirming that they were here to play, and the Liberty, well, not so much.

An early Sabrina Ionescu explosion kept the game tied by halftime. She matched her career-high with five 3-pointers in a single half, hitting a couple of especially rude ones in transition that electrified the crowd...

Sabrina is HOT to start...this is diabolical transition ball pic.twitter.com/zl4pCs4GLW

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 29, 2025​

Kennedy Burke added three long-balls, and that comprised the bulk of New York’s offense on the night. Without Jonquel Jones, they could not generate easy buckets down low, and seemed far less physically imposing to GSV than they had in round one.

New York largely cleaned up the rebounding issues after halftime and didn’t turn the ball over much, but the possession battle really wasn’t their issue. Their 18 points in the paint was easily a season-low.

Yet, they built a quick six-point lead early in the fourth quarter thanks to their bench. Rebekah Gardner hit a corner three, her only bucket of the game, but not before Marine Johannès went on a mini-run herself...

how could you not stan the 1-legged 's from MJ https://t.co/IuSpLtKQ34 pic.twitter.com/SgXNL3fzdi

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 30, 2025​

It felt like, even without Jones and Sabally, the typical Liberty barrage was coming. The expansion team on the other side called a timeout, though it remains a mystery how the referees could hear it over the roar of Barclays Center.

But the Valks showed great resolve out of the timeout. Rookie Janelle Salaün shot 7-of-18, but made every important out of the timeout. Monique Billings chipped in a few critical plays, and Julie Vanloo eventually put the underdogs up with less than two minutes left.

“Credit to Golden State,” said Sandy Brondello. “I suppose it’s always hard when we win by 28, the mindset part. And losing JJ is not good for us. But, you know, we’ve got to be tougher than that.”

If not for Breanna Stewart’s relentless hustle, the Liberty would have already lost by then. She made three straight trips to the free-throw line — all off Golden State fouls trying to keep her off the glass — to keep the Liberty on the high side of the see-saw. The Liberty haven’t been able to grab any of their own misses this season, but with Stewie’s motor, that was always subject to change.

Following a questionable 5-second call...

watch the baseline ref...that is a TRUE five second call, sheesh pic.twitter.com/lirOlrR0Ty

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 30, 2025​

...Natasha Cloud hit a layup — her first and last two-point attempt of the game — to put New York up 80-77 in the final seconds. Then Leonie Fiebich played fantastic defense on a game-tying three from Golden State, and that was the game. The Liberty, by the skin of their teeth, moved to 5-0.

If you look at the box score from Thursday night, there will be plenty of lies told by the official score-keepers, through no fault of their own. If a player draws a foul attempting to grab a board, they do not get credit for the rebound. The subsequent free-throws are also not counted as second-chance points.

Officially, Breanna Stewart “only” put up 27/7/4/2/3 in the victory, the Libs only scored 14 second-chance points, and Stewie only drew sixteen fouls on the Valkyries. Wait, SIXTEEN?

“She didn’t want to lose, and that’s a good thing,” said Brondello.

“That’s why she’s one of the greatest basketball players ever,” added Sabrina Ionescu.

Even on a random Thursday night against an expansion team, this is still Stewie’s greatest quality. The box score will never fully capture it.

The New York Liberty have assembled such a star-studded cast of players — and characters — that a part of each game recap must be spent talking about at least one of their special qualities. In their last victory it was the wizardry of Marine Johannès. In this one, it’s perhaps the single greatest individual quality on this championship-level team: Breanna Stewart is a maniac.

In her eyes, it’s a lot more simple: “Doing whatever I could to get the win.”

Final Score: New York Liberty 82, Golden State Valkyries 77

Next Up​

Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images

It’s a quick turnaround for the Liberty, who head to the nation’s capital on Friday evening to face the Washington Mystics. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: New York Liberty 82, Golden State Valkyries 77 - WNBA
• Week 1 Eastern Conference Player of the Week: Natasha Cloud (Video) - WNBA

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/29...lkyries-82-77-breanna-stewart-sabrina-ionescu

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets cap space monopoly: what does it mean as free agency approaches

In recent days, the Nets huge cache of cap space has been the subject of a lot of discussion among writers and pundits. So we take a look at the possibilities.

As Jake Fischer wrote Wednesday on his and Marc Stein’s substack, TheSteinLine, the Nets have a virtual monopoly on cap space this off-season:

The Brooklyn Nets are currently the league’s only team on course to have a difference-making amount of cap space to spend this summer. This is not hyperbole.

The actual numbers won’t be known for a while and, as we all know, the NBA can change quickly, but the current reality is that Sean Marks & co. have loaded up on cap space in a big way ... an ideal asset in a summer that one Western Conference executive told Fischer has the potential to be “a crazy summer” full of trades. ESPN’s Shams Charania similarly called it the “most craziest summer” and a league source familiar with the Nets situation told NetsDaily this will be an “interesting off-season all around the league ... to say the least.”

So, we offer this primer on where things stand, based a number of NBA pundits’ recent takes, including how much are the Nets projected to have once the NBA Finals are over, how they might use it ... including some intriguing possibilities ... and when will things start popping.

How Much?​

The projections depend on how you slice things, how you time them out. Some have put the Nets number at $30 million, some at $90 million!

As Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron wrote Monday, the math is fluid.

The Nets are entering the offseason with 13 players under contract and just $80.4 million in salaries. Their cap space projection is fluid due to several pending team options and non-guaranteed salaries. They have $74 million if they keep all those players, and could reach $80 million if they cut them all.

They are realistically projected to have significantly less cap space. That $74-80 million projection doesn’t factor in the possibility of re-signing their own restricted free agents. They’d need to renounce the rights to all their free agents to access that cap space amount, which would mean they lose Bird rights to their top free agents. (Emphasis ours.)

That’s not realistic. Gozlan believes the Nets are likely to renounce their rights to both Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams but still re-sign them while moving quickly on a Cam Thomas extension. Sharpe ($12 million) and Williams ($18.4 million) have big cap holds, far greater than what’s their likely market value, Gozlan writes.

In the case of Williams, after renouncing his rights, Brooklyn can sign him as an unrestricted free agent using their remaining cap space or the $8.8 million room mid-level exception they have available.

With Sharpe, Brooklyn can offer him a new deal during the late June window when they have exclusive rights. Gozlan doesn’t mention Trendon Watford, but he too is a unrestricted free agent.

One big number affecting the ultimate number will be how much the Nets pay Thomas. Like other pundits, Gozlan puts the number at roughly $90 million over four years, $117 million over five, about the same as Collin Sexton got three years back adjusted for inflation. Judging by the Nets recent history with Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton, expect them to offer Thomas a front-loaded deal and probably early in free agency. He could reject it and become an unrestricted free agent in a year but that’s not likely. Nor is it likely Thomas will get an offer from another team since none have enough to sign him without fearing a Brooklyn match.

Beyond the restricted free agents, there are the five young players with team options — Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin, Jalen Wilson, and Drew Timme plus Maxwell Lewis, who is extension eligible. Johnson ($271,000), Lewis ($100,000) and Wilson ($88,000) all have small guarantees.

Then, there’s the four first round picks. Depending on how many they actually use, the rookies’ salaries could amount to as much as $16.3 million next season, all fully guaranteed the first two years. Rookie deals are exceptions so they’re likely to be among the last signings.

At end of the day, Gozlan, Fischer and Bobby Marks all believe the Nets will have about $45-$55 million in cap space to use. Again, it’s all fluid.

How will it be used?​

Gozlan, Bobby Marks and others use the Nets history as a template in trying to figure out what Sean Marks will do with all of Joe Tsai’s money, absent a really big deal like trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. (That’s a discussion for another day.) But does that strategy still make sense? Circumstances have changed.

Bobby Marks lays out the Nets options this way, pointing out what the Nets did in the first rebuild:

Take back salary in exchange for draft picks (Brooklyn acquired two firsts in 2017 with that strategy).

Target restricted free agents with an offer sheet (for example, Quentin Grimes and Jonathan Kuminga).

Sign free agents to short-term but bloated salaries.

First let’s look at the record of how it went down back then. Salary dumps were the most successful piece in the Brooklyn GM’s strategy.

Sean Marks did indeed have a very active 2017, as Bobby Marks notes, taking on salary dumps for picks. In February of that year, he traded Bojan Bogdanović and Chris McCullough to the Wizards for Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton and the Wizards lottery-protected first round draft pick that June. (Jarrett Allen was later selected). In July, he traded Justin Hamilton to the Raptors for DeMarre Carroll, a first round pick (Džanan Musa was later selected) and a second (Rodions Kurucs was later selected). Finally, in December, he sent Trevor Booker to the 76ers for Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas and the Knicks second round pick in 2019 (Nic Claxton was later selected.) That’s good work.

Brooklyn has done that recently as well, taking on Ziaire Williams from Memphis and a 2030 Dallas second rounder, sending out Mamadi Diakite. Williams was 21 with a year left on his deal at the time of the trade. Hardly a traditional salary dump.

Do the Nets need to take on salary to add more picks now though? They already have the biggest stash of draft assets in the league. Over the next seven drafts, they have 15 firsts, 13 of them tradeable, plus 16 seconds, all of them tradeable. Yes, the 2026 Draft got even better Wednesday when several solid prospects decided to withdraw from the 2025 Draft and delay their NBA debut for a year. The Nets currently have one first — their own — and two seconds in 2026 but they could trade some of this year’s picks or those future assets to strengthen their position next year. They’re not limited to salary dumps.

Gozlan notes there is another impediment to salary dumps: the increasing value of first rounders in roster-building under the sanctions-heavy CBA. A first rounder on a cheap, four-year deal helps balance the big bucks deals stars and superstars on contenders command. (Cooper Flagg, who will be the highest paid rookie this season, will earn a total of $65 million over the course of his four-year deal, a bargain assuming he pans out the way everyone believes he will.)

[W]e’ve seen a significant decrease in the amount of draft equity teams give up to save money. Few teams are willing to trade first-round picks to dump a bad contract, unless that player has multiple years left on his deal. We are seeing more deals where they instead trade second-round picks to get off a large expiring contract and even take back a rotation player.

The Nets themselves have done exactly that three times since the 2024 trade deadline, acquiring three seconds each in their trades that sent Royce O’Neale to Phoenix, Dennis Schroder to Golden State and Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers.

Are they interested enough in this year’s weak free agent class to tender them offer sheets as they did with Tyler Johnson, Allen Crabbe, Otto Porter Jr. and Donatas Motiejunas between 2016 and 2017? In each case the player’s teams matched the Nets offer ... and none of them turned out to be very good anyway.

Anthony Slater of The Athletic went on the record Thursday saying that the player who’s arguably the free agent class’s big name is not on Brooklyn’s radar.

There is not a current expectation that the Brooklyn Nets are preparing an offer sheet for (Jonathan) Kuminga, but there are signs Brooklyn could be willing to use its open cap space as a vehicle to execute multi-team trade scenarios this summer, league sources said.

As for offering free agents bloated short-term deals, that’s not something Sean Marks did first time around but it offers Brooklyn the opportunity to kick their cap space down the road to 2026. That year’s free agent class is stronger. Would, say, signing D’Angelo Russell make sense ... maybe to a one-year deal perhaps with a small, second year guarantee and a team option? He certainly wants to return.

Beyond the directions Bobby Marks mentioned, there are a couple of new possibilities. One is what Slater mentioned, that Brooklyn could be willing to use its cap space on big trades in return for something of value.

Gozlan likes the idea of the Nets using their cap space to acquire prospects — young players — as well as picks from teams looking to save money as they face the paralyzing effects of the first and second aprons. He just barely mentions the possibility. Nor does he name names, but it is an intriguing prospect, building a roster on the back of bigger deals in which you supply the financing.

Timing ​

That same source we quoted up at the top of this piece thinks it’s still to early to see clear outlines of what will happen once everyone’s mind is in gear.

“I wouldn’t read or believe much that’s put there on any team,” he told ND. “Assume most are hypothetical.”

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Thursday that by the Draft, things will get interesting.

“I also think we’re going to see this action around the draft,” he said on ESPN. “There’s not a lot of free agent money out there. There’s not a lot of big-name free agents. The two biggest are James Harden and LeBron James. Both of them I think are staying with their teams. LeBron might not even opt out.”

That of course would be in line with the Nets history. Sean Marks & co. have made trades within a few days of the drat eight of the nine drafts he’s been GM.

Could other teams break the Nets monopoly? Possible but not likely, Fischer wrote.

Detroit could theoretically create roughly $14 million in salary cap space ... but also realistically cannot do so if it hopes to re-sign veterans such as Malik Beasley and Dennis Schroder after both contributed so much to the Pistons’ return to the playoff stage.

Memphis likewise has pathways to create some decent cap space, but the Grizzlies’ priorities are making sure they have enough flexibility to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr.’s contract and, if possible, re-sign Santi Aldama.

The other thing to note is that the Nets can manipulate things by timing out their moves. Different rules apply to players with Bird Rights, various exceptions, rookie deals, teams under the cap, over the cap, etc. So timing will be everything.

One of our favorite stories from years gone by was one in which we catalogued how Billy King and his then-capologist Bobby Marks used iPhones and iPads to sequence things to maximum effect. The players, technology and CBA have changed since, but the same strategy applies.

Like any story in advance of the Summer of Our Lives — Jordi Fernandez’s line to describe this off-season, a lot of things can change. Opportunities arise and strategies change, but again at the moment no one is sitting as pretty as Sean Marks when it comes to having the tools. It will be the execution that matters.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/30...y-what-does-it-mean-as-free-agency-approaches

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets start to work out top prospects

It’s hard to track who’s been in for NBA Draft workouts, but Thursday, we learned, sharpshooters Nique Clifford and Chaz Lanier were at HSS Training Center.

The Nets don’t announce what draft prospects they’re working out at HSS Training Center or even the schedule of how often they have guys in. It’s all state secrets, a far cry from the days a decade ago when the team’s top scout would hold court with beat reporters following each session, providing thumbnail profiles of each player. Those days are gone.

Still, we know that there’s a steady flow of prospects — usually six at a time — getting dropped off at 168 39th Street and taking the elevator up to the eighth floor where they show their wares to the team’s decision-makers ... and even a few players.

There are workouts, interviews and scrimmages. Overall, in a normal year, based on scattered reports in the past, about 60 to 75 prosects get looked at. This, of course, is not a normal year. At the moment, the Brooklyn Nets have picks at Nos. 8, 19, 26, 27 and 36.

Based on a number of sources, from agents and even players announcing their workouts on social media, to reporters working sources or Hoopshype’s annual workout tracker, we have some intelligence on who’s been in.

At the moment, it’s uncertain whether two of the biggest prospects tied to the Nets — Jeremiah Fears of Oklahoma and Kon Knueppel have been in. Both talked at the Combine about planning to work out for Sean Marks & co.

What we saw and heard Friday was that two players who have been mocked to the Nets by one media mock draft or another had been Thursday. In this case, it was the players themselves who disclosed it.

Erik Slater reported that Tennessee sharpshooter Chaz Lanier worked for the Nets on Thursday. Brian Lewis corroborated that report, adding that Brooklyn had five other prospects in for visits, including another shooting guard of note, Nique Clifford, from Colorado State. Lanier on the strength of a big showing at the Draft Combine has moved up draft boards and sits near the Nets second round pick. Clifford, an all-around prospect with some 3-and-D suggestions, is regularly listed in media mocks in the late teens. Both are among the oldest prospects in the Draft at 23 years old. (That’s two and a half years older than Dariq Whitehead and Noah Clowney, still 20.)

Lanier looks like one of the draft’s better 3-point shooting prospects, being a career 40.2% shooter at the collegiate level. In his fifth year or eligibility, which he spent at Tennessee alongside Mashack, he shot 39.5% from range on 8.2 attempts per game. His 123 made triples broke a school record for the most made in a single season.

He’s a deadeye. He knows it too — expressing that and more to Lewis and The Post.

“I believe I’m the best shooter in the draft,” Lanier told Lewis. “But [also] a competitor, a winner, somebody who wants to win and is going to bring the best effort to the team...I really admire the way coach Jordi Fernández really runs the organization. The culture is amazing. Being able to meet with everybody and all the staff, getting to meet some of the players you can tell everybody’s bought into the culture. It’s not about ‘me,’ it’s about ‘we.’ And I really admire that about what coach is building.”

While he and Tennessee Jahmai Mashack might have a larger following thanks to their collective five years spent in Knoxville under an SEC spotlight that’s never been brighter, Clifford is the higher touted prospect.

Like Lanier a super senior, Clifford averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 boards, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in his fifth and final year as a Ram. He also posted considerable 50/38 splits.

But most importantly, Clifford possesses the highly sought-after “NBA ready” frame, stretching out as a guard to 6’7” and with a reported 6’8” wingspan. Other pro intangibles such as the ability to create his own look, make interior passes, and put pressure on the rim are also all visible across his college reel.

Nique Clifford's college career ended with a strong NCAA tournament, dropping 35 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in two games against high-level competition. Though his jumper wasn't falling, Clifford demonstrated the myriad ways he impacts winning on both ends. pic.twitter.com/vvQ9PwVR5d

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 25, 2025​

Other than Fears and Knueppel, possibilities for the No. 8 mid-lottery pick, Clifford, someone who could be available at No. 19 and Lanier, similarly near the Nets pick at No. 36, only another 11 prospects are named in the Hoopshype tracker. Only two others are seen as possible selections and both of them are late second round: Wake Forest shooting guard Hunter Smalls and West Virginia point guard Javon Small.

In fact, three of the players the Nets have had in already dropped out of the draft since working out in Brooklyn. A couple of local players — St. John’s 6’7” small forward Aaron Scott and Temple’s 6’10” shooting guard Steve Settle — have also been in.

The workouts provide the front office with data that could be useful beyond the June 25-26 Draft. The team has to fill three two-way slots plus summer league, training camp and Long Island Nets rosters. (Tosan Evbuomwan and Tyson Etienne both have non-guaranteed two-way deals.)

Neither the Nets nor any NBA teams will be able to work out three top prospects regularly linked to them. Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported in his latest Top 100 Big Board that Noa Essnengue the 6’10” French power forward, his German league teammate 6’6” Israeli point guard Ben Saraf, and 6’6” Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez will all be playing in European competitions right up to Draft Night. That means they will not afforded the opportunity to come to the U.S. for individual workouts.

We’ll regularly update the list as we come across reports of who’s been in.

• Tennessee sharpshooter Chaz Lanier makes his Nets NBA draft pitch - Brian Lewis - New York Post
• Nets to host Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier for workout before NBA draft ($) - Brian Lewis - New York Post
• Nets hosting sleeper prospect for pre-draft workout after stellar combine performance - Erik Slater - Clutch Points

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/31/24440122/brooklyn-nets-start-to-work-out-top-prospects

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty dominate Washington Mystics defensively, win 85-63

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

Sabrina Ionescu had her first true offensive outburst of the season, and the WNBA’s best team moved to 6-0 despite the back-to-back

After the first quarter of the New York Liberty’s Friday night’s road contest against the Washington Mystics, Leonie Fiebich was asked for the keys to the game: “Body language. Not showing that we’re tired, that we had a back-to-back.”

Taking Fiebich at her word, the only symptom of fatigue for the Libs was their 3-point shooting. Despite generating untold open threes looks against the Mystics, they shot just __% from deep, extending a helping hand to the youthful hosts.

It wasn’t enough to keep Washington in the game though, because New York’s body language was otherwise kempt. With the return of Jonquel Jones from a one-game absence, they got to the paint when threes weren’t falling, drew fouls, and everybody made some nice passes...

Kennedy Burke with a nice pass, waiting out the tag, to get JJ on the roll: pic.twitter.com/1ogynOq57L

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 30, 2025​

More importantly, their defense was fully impenetrable. Jones blocked two shots in addition to her monstrous 14-and-18 double-double, but Burke was a presence around the rim as well, and Leonie Fiebich finished with three blocks and plenty of other shots altered...

she good https://t.co/OZ2dRfM8qK pic.twitter.com/nonad55Uiu

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 31, 2025​

This coincided with Fiebich’s best offensive game of the season as well. She did hit a couple open threes, but New York also got her in post-up position following a switch a couple times, which Sandy Brondello has mentioned has an emphasis for the 6’4” German in the past.

“She loves defense,” said Brondello said of Fiebich. “She was shooting threes, she was cutting, she was posting up. It was good for us.”

Fiebich scored 12 points on just five shots, but her length next to New York’s all-WNBA front-court truly broke Washington’s back. The Mystics shot a grotesque 17-of-58 (29.3%) inside the arc, and by the fourth quarter, they were seeing ghosts, missing layups while merely thinking about New York’s length.

The one terse moment for the Liberty on Friday came, as you’d expect, in the third quarter. Sloppy turnovers out of the half led to a 11-2 Mystics run, cutting the margin to four. Brondello called a timeout, and it was obvious the Liberty needed one push to slam the door, or be doomed to a back-and-forth contest with the Mystics.

Sabrina Ionescu hit an and-1 over Sonia Citron, cheekily let her know about it, and that was that...

Sabrina Ionescu hits the and-1 over Sonia Citron, lets her know about it lol pic.twitter.com/TSQX79U5L7

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 31, 2025​

“She’s one of my favorite players out of this rookie class, someone that I watched in college and saw a lot of myself in her,” said Ionescu of the rookie.

“You know, I was able to kind of reach out to her when she got drafted, kind of wanting to be someone in the league that she’s able to always come to and just kind of share experiences. And so that was kind of a welcome to the league moment.”

It was also the moment the Mystics started to drown, as the Liberty went on a 16-0 run thanks to the defense on one end, and Ionescu on the other. The all-WNBA guard (there is a lot of all-W talent on this team, if you haven’t noticed) finished with 28/3/5 on 67.1 TS%, turned it over just twice, and was at the center of the team’s best offensive possessions for much of the game.

“We’re continuing to trust our movement and understand how teams will play us,” she said. “They protected the paint well, so we continued to create space. We wanted paint touches, but we’re also a good shooting team.”

Well, they weren’t on Friday night, with Breanna Stewart missing all five of her 3-point looks to continue a worrying multi-season trend, but with Ionescu throwing dimes like this...

Sabrina DIME

checks out w/ 28/3/5, fantastic performance: pic.twitter.com/Q732rvKtKs

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 31, 2025​

...it didn’t matter.

Curiously, Natasha Cloud took just one shot and went scoreless in her first return to Washington D.C. after eight years as a Mystic, and played just 22 minutes. It hardly mattered though, as Rebekah Gardner got some run with the starters in her place — those five made the game-sealing run — and notched a season-high 11 points.

If Thursday night was Stewie’s, the following night was Ionescu’s, though the return of Jonquel Jones was vital as well. Even on a back-to-back, even without Nyara Sabally for the fourth straight game (knee), the Liberty still have enough talent to win on any night, against any opponent. At least one of their all-WNBA stars is going to get busy, and the defense remains too long and active for most opponents to compete with.

The Washington Mystics learned that the hard way on Friday night.

Final Score: New York Liberty 85, Washington Mystics 63

Milestone Watch​

• Leonie Fiebich’s three blocks mark a career-high, a her nine rebounds tie one.
• Jonquel Jones put up her 26th regular season double-double since joining the New York Liberty, who are now a perfect 26-0 when she records a double-double.
• Jones’ 18 rebounds ties a WNBA-wide season-high in 2025.
• Sabrina Ionescu shot 9-16 from the field tonight, passing Crystal Robinson for #4 on the New York Liberty’s all-time leaders in made field goals. She now has 812 makes in her career.

Injury Report​

Not much to say about Nyara Sabally and her fourth straight absence due to knee soreness, other than Sandy Brondello is still preaching optimism. This is what she had to say before the game: “Nyara, we’re gonna keep her out another game. She’s making progress and hopefully back on Sunday.”

Next Up​

Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Speaking of Sunday, the New York Liberty face the Connecticut Sun, who are no longer winless after defeating the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever on Friday night! Tip-off at Barclays Center is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: New York Liberty 85, Washington Mystics 63 - WNBA
• Game Highlights: New York Liberty 85, Washington Mystics 63 (Video) - WNBA
• Sabrina Ionescu 28 PTS Moves Liberty To 6-0 (Video) - WNBA
• Ionescu scores 28, Jones has 14 points and 18 rebounds as unbeaten Liberty beat Mystics - AP
• Sabrina Ionescu’s huge night against Mystics leads Liberty to 6-0 start - Madeline Kenney - New York Post
• Leonie Fiebich did exactly what Liberty needed — and then some — in win - Madeline Kenney - New York Post
• Sabrina Ionescu Gave Mystics Rookie Her Welcome to the WNBA Moment - Tim Capurso - Sports Illustrated

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/5/30...63-sabrina-ionescu-jonquel-jones-sonia-citron

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty embarrass Connecticut Sun 100-52, to move to 7-0

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

And somehow, the final score doesn’t do it justice.

Barclays Center was not the place to cure a hangover on Sunday afternoon.

Though the New York Liberty were facing the Connecticut Sun, perhaps the worst team in the league, 17,000 fans were going ape the whole time. To kick off Pride Month, the self proclaimed gayest team in the league celebrated Ellie the Elephant’s birthday and obliterated the Connecticut Sun.

Obliterated doesn’t really describe it though; a vivid recounting of what the Liberty put Connecticut through on Sunday afternoon would border on the obscene, unfit to print.

The numbers do the blowout a bit of justice; the Liberty tied the single-game 3-point record with 19 makes, the record they set just five games prior against the Chicago Sky. At one point, the fighting Ellies were shooting 17-of-24 from three, which would be impressive if they were in the gym by themselves.

Head Coach Sandy Brondello actually tried to help the Sun out by inserting subs with over four minutes left in the first quarter, but Rachid Meziane wouldn’t take the bait, I guess. By not calling a timeout, and with no other whistles to speak of, the Liberty starters played the whole first quarter, winning it 31-13.

In all fairness, no fiery timeout speech could have saved Connecticut. Marine Johannès came in, shot one-legged threes, and dropped dimes...

grateful that CT is hedging these Marine screens so she can clip farm: pic.twitter.com/WKGWQ9t4ms

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 1, 2025​

Sabrina Ionescu, falling out of bounds with two defenders lunging at her, hit a 25-footer to make the score 60-28 and end the half.

The crowd grew delirious — to be expected — but so did the players. No-look passes and H-O-R-S-E shots infiltrated most possessions, savvy veterans giving the crowd exactly what they wanted...

ALL HUSTLE @T_Cloud4 with the TUFF assist & L3O knocks it down for pic.twitter.com/sNU2zAAiri

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) June 1, 2025​

Whether intentional or not, the third quarter was when they started to embarrass the Sun. They opened the period on a 25-2 run, opening up a 57-point lead to flirt with the largest blowout in WNBA history (59 points).

During pauses in the massacre, players wished Ellie happy birthday on the Jumbotron, the elephant pranced around the court to screaming fans, or Sabrina Ionescu wildly celebrated a successful coach’s challenge...

When the challenge is successful pic.twitter.com/6B0smKIn7X

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) June 1, 2025​

It felt a tad over the line, as the Connecticut Sun were transformed into the Washington Generals. Marina Mabrey, who lost her minutes by a WNBA-record 55 freaking points, never gave the hard foul that would have been well-earned. New York basketball legend Tina Charles showed us a few textbook post moves, then sat on the bench and took in a rare sight she had not previously seen in her 15-year career.

It was also odd that both Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones saw fourth-quarter minutes, though that could be explained away by the Commissioner’s Cup. This game opened play in the round-robin stage of the WNBA’s mid-season tournament, where point differential is a tiebreaker.

Still, though, the lead was 57 points. Marquesha Davis, the #11 overall pick in 2024, was not subbed into the game until early in the fourth quarter. When asked if a possible injury/illness was the reason it took so long for Davis to get into the game, Sandy Brondello curtly replied: “No, it’s Commissioner’s Cup. I mean, I think you know that. Just, [getting] the score up, we still wanted to play well. I mean, Q came in and got her minutes, so just staying ready.”

Ouch.

Further nitpicks could include the 19 turnovers the Liberty committed, or the fact that the garbage-time unit went scoreless in the game’s final 5:15, allowing the Sun to put a dash of makeup on this pig.

But Brondello nor Ionescu even mentioned those minor miscues in the postgame presser, that’s what a total display of dominance this was: “It was great to be able to see the contribution from everyone. Everyone came out really ready. Everyone scored and contributed in a really impactful way, from the start to finish, every single quarter ... And obviously, we knew there’s 17,000 fans there tonight, and that was kind of my message before the game, was this is a big game for us. There can be new fans, new kids that come and want to watch us for the first time. They don’t know we’ve had four [games] in six days like. You know, they don’t care.”

Those kids don’t know how blessed they are, stumbling into watching one of the greatest pro basketball teams of all time at their peak, where the most negative thing I can write is that a star player celebrated too fervently after a successful challenge call.

Throughout the start to this season, the incredible individuals on this team have all had a moment in the sun. Natasha Cloud had a flawless debut, Jonquel Jones took over in Indiana, Breanna Stewart stole a game with pure effort, Sabrina Ionescu carried the offense in Washington, Marine Johannès dazzled against the Valkyries, the list goes on.

But in moving to 7-0, the Liberty displayed total, team-wide domination: No player had more than 18 points, ten women hit a 3-pointer, and they assisted on their first nineteen makes. Behind the best crowd in the WNBA, the best team in the W flexed their muscles all over the Connecticut Sun, and handed them the second-worst loss in league history...

Death. Taxes. One-legged Marine. https://t.co/Pk0jS5HOFu

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) June 1, 2025​

“I’m so happy to be on this side, finally.” — Isabelle Harrison

Final Score: New York Liberty 100, Connecticut Sun 52

Ring night for Roneeka Hodges​

Though Roneeka Hodges played 11 seasons in the WNBA, the lefty guard never won a championship. But in 2024, Hodges finally got her rin, in her third and final season as an assistant coach on Sandy Brondello’s staff.

This past offseason, Hodges departed for Connecticut, where she is now the Associate Head Coach. Prior to tip-off on Sunday, the Liberty honored Hodges and presented her with the 2024 championship ring...

Sandy Brondello presents former Liberty assistant coach (now Sun associate head coach) Roneeka Hodges her championship ring#WNBA #LightItUpNYL pic.twitter.com/4slouvqaNX

— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) June 1, 2025​

“The goal is always to continue to learn, to grow and to elevate,” reflected Hodges. “And I think for me, I had a great experience here. I learned a ton from Sandy, Sandy and everybody in the organization. And I think I’ve been well prepared for the situation that I’m in now, and I’m very, very grateful.”

Another big crowd​

No surprise, but Sunday’s crowd of 17,415 was a second high, topping the 17,334 on opening night back on May 17, Ring Night. So far this season, four home dates, the Liberty are averaging 16,114 fans, a huge number for any W team outside Indianapolis.

Indeed, if the Libs can maintain that pace, their attendance would be higher than any of the Brooklyn Nets teams from 2015-16 through 2018-19, the team’s first rebuild. None of those Nets teams averaged better than 15,566.

Next Up​

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

The Liberty travel to Washington D.C. yet again, after taking down the Mystics on Friday night. Tip-off for the rematch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday evening.

• Boxscore: New York Liberty 100, Connecticut Sun 52 - WNBA
• Game Highlights: New York Liberty 100, Connecticut Sun 52 (Video) - WNBA
• Liberty’s hot shooting leads to 100-52 rout of Sun for 2nd-biggest margin of victory in WNBA history - AP
• Liberty torch Sun for record 48-point blowout to tie best start in franchise history - Madaline Kenney - New York Post

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/1/24441197/liberty-vs-sun-100-52-sabrina-ionescu-tina-charles