The New York Liberty introduced Friday they’ve re-signed Marine Johannès, who beforehand performed for the workforce in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Johannès, a 5’10 guard, helped lead the French Nationwide Workforce to a Silver medal end in opposition to Workforce USA within the 2024 Paris Video games. She sat out the 2024 WNBA season in an effort to fulfill her nationwide workforce obligations, however was extensively anticipated to return to the WNBA this Spring.
In an official press launch, Liberty basic supervisor Jonathan Kolb expressed his enthusiasm for the signing.
“It’s a particular alternative so as to add Marine – who believed in our imaginative and prescient since 2019 – to a workforce as soon as once more competing for a title,” Kolb stated. “Marine’s flooring spacing and dynamic capability to create scoring alternatives for herself and others will add one other dimension to our offense in 2025.”
Johannès made an impression within the 2023 Finals when she hit 4 first-half threes in Sport 1 between the Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. NBA star LeBron James, who attended the sport, turned to social media to specific his awe for Johannès’s efficiency.
In her three-year WNBA profession, she has averaged 8 factors, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 rebounds per recreation — capturing 43.7% from the sector, 39.5% from three, and 80.6% on the free throw line.
What Marine Johannès brings to the New York Liberty
Presently, she’s a member of the Turkish membership Çimsa ÇBK Mersin, the place she’s averaging 13.6 factors, 4.4 assists, and a couple of.5 boards on 46.7% capturing, together with 36.7% from past the arc.
The Liberty will look to defend their franchise-first title, and have most of their key items from final 12 months on the roster subsequent season. Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones will lead the cost, whereas breakout rookie Leonie Fiebich is anticipated to as soon as once more be a significant contributor. As well as, the Liberty just lately acquired veteran two-way guard Natasha Cloud by way of commerce.
Johannès will probably come off the bench, the place she is poised to offer the Liberty a capturing punch and will help area the ground. At age 30, she’s performed in numerous large video games each within the WNBA and abroad, and can probably be an vital rotation participant come playoff time.
The Liberty misplaced two key gamers from final 12 months’s championship roster — Courtney Vandersloot to the Chicago Sky by way of free company, and Kayla Thornton to the Golden State Valkyries by way of the enlargement draft. Whereas Cloud will undoubtedly shoulder among the playmaking that was misplaced with Vandersloot’s departure, Johannès will equally bolster the Liberty’s rotation subsequent season.
