While we know where the New York Liberty will contest its home games this year – Brooklyn’s Barclays Center – one question remains regarding the black and statue green – who will be in charge of drawing up plays, running practices and calling timeouts.
Katie Smith was let go after the 2019 season in a short tenure that saw New York post a less-than-stellar 17-51 over two seasons when the Libs called Westchester its home. Earlier this offseason, the Indiana Fever hired former Washington Mystics Marianne Stanley as its new head coach, leaving the Liberty’s opening as the lone one in the W.
While names like Pokey Chatman and Fred Williams may immediately come to mind for many a WNBA fan on who should fill that void, reports say neither has made New York’s final three of candidates.
The names on that final three for the Liberty’s find, according to WInsidr and High Post Hoops, includes Walt Hopkins (a current assistant under Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve), Eric Thibault (Mystics associate head coach) and Steve Smith (former Connecticut Sun assistant).
An earlier version of those reports also include Aces assistant Vickie Johnson (under current Aces and former Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer) as among that final three before news of Thibault’s name broke.
If these are the names, presumably general manager Jonathan Kolb would choose someone who has a last name synonymous with women’s basketball in Thibault or another from the Reeve coaching tree.
Last offseason, the Chicago Sky plucked from that same tree and hired James Wade as its head coach. The Sky concluded the 2019 regular season with a 20-14 mark and came within one game (and one miracle Dearica Hamby heave) of the semifinals.
Wade also earned Coach of the Year honors for his job turning around the Sky.
Reeve herself, on a recent episode of her podcast, hinted that the Liberty had narrowed its coaching find to its final three and mentioned that Hopkins was a possible candidate, but did not mention any other names.
Whoever is announced by the Libs as Smith’s successor will assume duties for a team in transition and is trending up. Despite New York missing the playoffs the last two seasons, the move to Barclays from Westchester will surely boost attendance and energy around the team from its boroughs-based fanbase.
Also, a team with talents such as Queens’ very own Tina Charles, Kia Nurse, Asia Durr, Amanda Zahui B and (likely first overall draft pick) Sabrina Ionescu is sure to find its way back in the W’s postseason very soon.
