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New York Liberty Game Notes: Preseason Game #1 vs. Chicago Sky

April 30, 2016 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


QUICK HITS

The Liberty and Chicago are facing one another at the Bob Carpenter Center for the second year in a row. The Sky won last year's matchup, 83-55.

New York will be without Tina Charles and Swin Cash for Sunday's preseason opener.

The Liberty took the season series against the Sky, 3-1 in 2015. Prior to last year, New York had lost 10-straight in the series.

New York posted the best record in the WNBA last season at 23-11, setting a franchise record for wins. The Liberty advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

During the offseason, New York signed Shavonte Zellous and Lindsey Harding. In the WNBA Draft, the Liberty took Adut Bulgak (6-3 - C - Florida State) at 12th overall and Ameryst Alston (5-10 - G - Ohio State) at 24th overall.

Bill Laimbeer was named the 2015 WNBA Coach of the Year, winning the award for the second time in his career (2003). Tina Charles (First Team) and Epiphanny Prince (2nd Team) were named All-WNBA and Kiah Stokes and Brittany Boyd were named to the All-Rookie Team.

HISTORIC 20TH WNBA SEASON

- The WNBA is celebrating its historic 20th WNBA season in 2016, a milestone that is of additional significance for the Liberty as a founding

member of the league and one of three original franchises (Phoenix, Los Angeles).

- The Liberty played in the in the inaugural WNBA game against the Los Angeles Sparks in the Great Western Forum on June 21, 1997.

- The New York Liberty is the only WNBA franchise to operate under the same ownership group for all 20 years of the WNBA's existence.

- New York played in the first-ever WNBA Championship game, falling to the Houston Comets, 65-52 on August 30, 1997.

- The Liberty has been to the WNBA Finals three times, last in 2002.

- The Liberty has an all-time record of 328-300 (.522) with 13 playoff berths.

LIBERTY 2015 SEASON HEADLINES

- New York finished the 2015 regular season with the best record in the WNBA for the first time in franchise history.

- New York was 23-11 overall, posting the most regular season wins in franchise history, passing the previous mark of 22.

- New York swept the season series with Phoenix for the first time since 2012, both games from Los Angeles for the first time since 2010, and

went 2-0 against Minnesota for the first time since 2007.

- Bill Laimbeer was named WNBA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career.

- Tina Charles (1st Team) and Epiphanny Prince (2nd Team) earned All-WNBA accolades.

- Tina Charles, Kiah Stokes, and Tanisha Wright were all named WNBA Second-Team All-Defensive honorees.

- Kiah Stokes was runner-up for 2015 WNBA Rookie of the Year and she was named to the All-Rookie team along with Brittany Boyd.

TINA CHARLES ON THE #ROADTORIO

Tina Charles will represent her country in the Olympics for a second time as she has been selected as one of 12 players to compete for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Team at the Summer Games in Rio de Janairo. With her selection, Charles becomes the first active New York Liberty player to play for the U.S. at the Olympic games. Charles, who won a gold medal at the 2012 games in London, was also a member of a pair of FIBA World Championship gold medal winning teams (2010, 2014). The United States will begin its quest for a historic sixth-consecutive gold medal when it faces Senegal on either August 6 or 7.

LIBERTY LONG ON OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE

While Tina Charles will play for gold at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, she is one of several members of the Liberty team and coaching staff with Olympic Experience. Swin Cash, a 15-year veteran of the WNBA, is a two-time gold medal winner, helping Team USA capture gold medals at Athens in 2004 and London in 2012. Associate head coach Katie Smith won gold three times, Sydney in 2000, Athens, and Beijing in 2008. Teresa Weatherspoon won at gold medal at the 1988 games in Seoul, and won bronze in Barcelona in 1992.

NEW YORK INKS FREE AGENT SHAVONTE ZELLOUS

The Liberty made arguably the most impactful free agent signing of the 2016 offseason by signing unrestricted free agent guard Shavonte Zellous. Zellous, a seven-year veteran of the league, played the last five-plus seasons in Indiana, winning a WNBA Championship in 2012, and making a return trip to the finals in 2015. She was a WNBA All-Star in 2013, the same year she was named the league's Most Improved Player after averaging 14.7 points per game. Zellous has extensive playoff experience, having qualified for postseason play in each of her pro seasons, averaging 10.4 ppg in 43-career playoff games.

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