Liberty already staring down a good problem with decisions looming as injured stars near returns
PORTLAND, Ore.— New Liberty coach Chris DeMarco knew he had a loaded roster at the start of training camp.
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.The first week of the season only confirmed his belief in this team.The Liberty weathered this opening stretch without star Sabrina Ionescu, who’s expected to be reevaluated early next week after hurting her left foot in the team’s last preseason game.
New York also didn’t have Satou Sabally, who’s dealing with discomfort from a cyst, and Raquel Carrera and Leonie Fiebich, who are playing in the Spanish League championship.Despite missing several key players, the Liberty opened the season 3-1.They destroyed the lowly Connecticut Sun in their home opener and gutted out an overtime win against the Washington Mystics before splitting a pair of games in Portland.It’s a small sample size, but the Liberty’s start, despite being shorthanded, is likely going to create a good problem for DeMarco.“We have a ton of depth and when we are whole, there’s gonna be a lot of decisions that we have to make and a lot of minutes out there for people to compete for,” he told The Post after Thursday’s 100-82 win.General manager Jonathan Kolb may have once again struck international gold with the addition of rookie Pauline Astier, who has exploded into the season.Astier showed fans unfamiliar with her game why she was such a highly sought after free agent.The 24-year-old French guard stepped up in a major way with Ionescu sidelined.
So much so that it makes you wonder where the Liberty would be without her services.“I have no idea,” DeMarco said.“She’s a phenomenal player.
She’s so steady and she really takes what the game gives her.I’m open, I’m going to shoot the 3, you play up, I’m going to go by you, you help, I’m going to pass to the open person.”Astier is doing things very few rookies have d...