The New York Liberty came within a fraction of a second of forcing overtime against the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the 2021 WNBA Playoffs earlier this year, but were defeated on free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining. The Liberty, headed by Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney, figure to be one of the league’s rising stars, having earned an 8-seed in the WNBA Playoffs and improved significantly from a 2-20 record in the Wubble in 2020.
However, they’ll need a new head coach to take the next stage, as the team revealed on Monday that it had agreed to part ways with Walt Hopkins and will immediately launch a coaching search.
Given how the Liberty looked to take a leap last year under Hopkins’ direction, this change has raised questions, and some are asking if there’s more to this story than what New York has made public. In any event, the Liberty opening will pique the interest of coaches across the women’s basketball scene because they have actual cornerstone talent who has demonstrated the ability to compete with the best. A few roster upgrades and a coach who can maintain them on an upward trajectory appear to be all that’s required for them to continue their ascension in the WNBA, and many coaches will believe they’re the ones who can help them achieve their full potential.
