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WNBA New York Liberty

New York Liberty Game Notes: Game #1 at Washington Mystics

May 13, 2016 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


New York Liberty (0-0) at Washington Mystics (0-0)

Saturday, May 14 - 7 PM - Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)

Broadcast: MSG/ESPN3

QUICK HITS

New York struck a deal with Dallas for 2015 second overall pick Amanda Zahui B. and a 2017 second round pick for the Liberty's 2017 first round pick on May 11. Zahui B. averaged 3.4 ppg and 2.4 rpg during her rookie season.

New York acquired All-Star guard Shoni Schimmel from the Atlanta Dream on May 2 in exchange for the Liberty's 2017 second round draft pick. Schimmel is a two-time All-Star with career-averages of 8.0 ppg and 1.5 3-pointers per game.

The Liberty lost the 2015 season series to the Mystics 3-1, but defeated Washington, 2-1, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, including an 86-68 win in New York's last trip to the Verizon Center.

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. Both Bulgak and Alston made the Liberty's opening night roster.

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 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 MAKES A 'BIG' TRADE

The second overall picks in the 2015 WNBA Draft made her way to New York as the Liberty sent its 2017 first round pick to the Dallas Wings in exchange for Amanda Zahui B. and a 2017 second round pick. Zahui B., who was the Big Ten Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American at Minnesota in 2015, averaged 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game during her rookie season. She also shot .333 from 3-point range and averaged 0.6 blocks per game.

SHOWTIME IN THE BIG APPLE

The New York Liberty completed a trade for guard Shoni Schimmel on May 2, sending its 2017 second round pick to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for the two-time WNBA All-Star and the MVP of the 2014 All-Star game. Over two WNBA seasons, Schimmel has averaged 8.0 points and 3.4 assists per game, while knocking down 102 3-pointers, an average of 1.5 per game.

ROSTER TURNOVER

New York enters the 2016 season with seven returning players and six new faces. Bill Laimbeer begins his fourth season as head coach of the Liberty and all 13 current members of the Liberty have arrived after Laimbeer started, meaning no players remain from the time he took over as head coach.

MAKING MOVES

The Liberty has been very busy finalizing its 2016 roster over the past four weeks, starting with the WNBA Draft. Both 1st Round pick Adut Bulgak and 2nd Round pick Ameryst Alston are on New York's opening night roster. Shortly after the draft the Liberty signed free agent guard Lindsey Harding, who boasts career averages of 10.4 ppg and 4.2 apg, in the past month, New York has executed trades for guard Shoni Schimmel and center Amanda Zahui B.

SHINING STARS

With the addition of two-time WNBA All-Star Shoni Schimmel, the Liberty now boasts five players on its roster that have earned at least one All-Star appearance during their careers. Tina Charles (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015) has earned four selections, while Epiphanny Prince (2011, 2013) and Shoni Schimmel (2014, 2015) are two-time All-Stars, and Lindsey Harding (2010) and Shavonte Zellous (2013) have earned one All-Star appearance.

TURKISH CONNECTION

There are a couple of important ties between Liberty players and playing overseas in Turkey during the WNBA offseason. In 2014-15, Tina Charles and Shavonte Zellous were teammates on Fenerbahce, and Charles has said she helped recruit Zellous to sign with New York as a free agent this past winter. Looking to Zellous again, in January 2016 she Adana Aski Mersin, where she was teammates with Amanda Zahui B.

COMING UP BIG

The Liberty's 2016 first round draft pick Adut Bulgak had a big-time debut performance in New York's preseason opener against the Chicago Sky over the weekend, coming off the bench to log 23 minutes while posting a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, leading all players in both categories. Bulgak shot 5-of-10 from the field, hitting a 3-pointer, and saw six of her rebounds come on the offensive end of the floor.

PROTECTING THE ROCK

In its preseason opener against the Chicago Sky, New York turned the ball over 20 times, which directly led to 25 points for the Sky, which had a plus-19 margin in points off turnovers in their win. When the Liberty took care of the basketball during the 2015 season, the result was almost always a win. Last year New York was 14-3 when committing fewer turnovers and 16-4 when outscoring an opponent in points off turnovers.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

Tina Charles is beginning her seventh WNBA season, but already Charles ranks second in league history with 109 double-doubles. She has posted 109 double-doubles in 198 career games played, meaning in 55.1 percent of her appearances she has posted a double-double. Lisa Leslie is the WNBA all-time leader with 157 career double-doubles. Charles had a team-best 15 double-doubles last season, when she averaged 17.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg, finishing second in the league in rebounding and fourth in scoring.

ZELLOUS 2K

Shavonte Zellous is closing in on a career milestone as one of the newest members of the Liberty is just nine points shy of 2,000 for her career. Entering her eighth WNBA season, Zellous has a career average of 9.3 ppg. Last season, she averaged 8.4 ppg in Indiana, and her career-best came in 2013, when she was a WNBA All-Star for the Eastern Conference and averaged 14.7 ppg.

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