Pre-season is a great time to fine-tune things. You’ve got actions to install, rhythms to develop, and players to evaluate. For the New York Liberty, this pre-season represents an opportunity to work some things out.
The seafoam began the two game pre-season slate with an afternoon matchup against the Indiana Fever on a rainy Brooklyn Saturday.
In her first action since the 2024 WNBA Finals, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton opened the scoring for the Liberty with a short fading jumper in the low post.
The Liberty have spoken a lot about cutting and generally living in the paint more often. We saw a lot of that in the first half as they only attempted five three pointers (plus one halfcourt heave in the final seconds). The Liberty were able to consistently find their way into the painted area and draw fouls. Breanna Stewart in particular had success as a second quarter 10-0 run got the Barclays Center on its feet
With this being the first game under a new head coach and a lot of new players trying to find their natural fit, things got a bit choppy. New York turned it over 24 times and that led to 29 Fever points off of turnovers. Even in pre-season, that’s something they’ll need to work on.
Final score: Indiana Fever 109, New York Liberty 91
The Liberty will be off for a few days, which will give them plenty of time to get more comfortable with DeMarco’s offense and fine tune some things. As they head into practice and film study, one player will stand out.
Welcome back, Han!
The other big return this afternoon was of Han Xu! Han has been away from the Liberty since 2023 as she has been playing overseas. During her time away, Han has established herself as one of the best centers in basketball and has found success in China and Australia. Now that she’s back, her teammates are thrilled to see her.
“Hanny is always versatile,” Jonquel Jones said after Liberty practice on April 24. “She’s always just really great for her size. You have somebody that’s so tall and can move and get up and down the floor very quickly, can make open shots, hit 3s, score on all three levels.”
On the day, Han led all players in scoring with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Han was able to move quickly on offense, establish good post position, and display all of the lessons she’s learned over the years. She also collected three blocks and reminded WNBA fans what she can do on that side of the ball. Han was Defensive Player of the Year in Australia last season…
Today was a showcase game for Han and was something her long time teammates were excited to watch.
“First, I’d give all the credit to her because she’s put the work in,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “I played with her a few years ago here and she was so talented, but she was so young in terms of understanding the game. We’re not that far off in age, but in terms of understanding the physicality, how to play, the language barrier, etc. I watched her interview with you guys and i was so impressed because she’s grown, she’s matured, she understands the game so much more. We’re able to talk through what you see whereas a few years ago I couldn’t really tell her what I wanted to on the floor because she wasn’t understanding. So it was hard for her to be that sponge and a quick learner. And now, you’re able to see she’s gotten stronger, she’s gotten quicker, her shot’s even a lot better, her passing ability has gotten a lot better.
“Obviously a testament to coach Chris and the coaching staff. The moment he was hired, he was like “Han! Han! Han!” and I was like “I love it, bring her back!” because I’ve loved playing with her. But he did his research, watched all her games, and knew how she would fit into this system. I think everyone was able to see tonight the potential she has on this team.“
Han will take on a big role with this team as the backup center. Her size, touch, and presence will aid a second unit that is expected to keep things steady while the frontcourt trio of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Satou Sabally get rest. Today was a great first step in what might be a big time season for the Liberty prospect.
Next up
The pre-season ends in Uncasville on Sunday, May 3. Tip after 5:00 p.m. EST.
