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Before the All-Star break, the New York Liberty had arguably the most talented roster in the WNBA — when healthy, at least.
Days later, it’s hard to argue for any other team. While all eyes were on the All-Star festivities in Indianapolis, Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb was busy signing Stephanie Talbot and finally convincing Emma Meesseman to return to the WNBA for the first time in three years.
Talbot is already with the team, logging four minutes in her debut Tuesday night against the Indiana Fever. She tallied a steal and assist but committed three turnovers in limited action.
Liberty guard Kennedy Burke was teammates with Talbot on the 2021 Seattle Storm. She said she is not worried about how the Australia native will fit in with the team.
“I'm used to her game. She's another big guard for us,” Burke said. “It's nice to have another big body on the court with us, especially with [Jonquel Jones] coming back, it makes us look big now.”
As for Meesseman, she will be in Brooklyn as soon as she is able.
“I think she'll fit into the system very easily with the way that we play as a team at both ends of the floor,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “But you still have to put it all together. Talent doesn't win championships. It’s playing in the right way…and I'm excited to have everyone and build these next 23 games.”
Meesseman, the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP, is a career double-digit scorer spanning eight seasons (seven with the Washington Mystics). The competition for her services was fierce, but the Liberty had the edge given that she has played with Breanna Stewart and for Brondello in her career.
“She was going to help any team that she would go to and I think there's a comfort level here,” Brondello said. “There's a lot of players she's played with and I've coached her, so I think it'll be nice and easy.”
The Liberty anticipate a seamless transition with newcomers
The Liberty already had an inherent advantage to bringing in Talbot and Messeman that other teams couldn’t claim. Talbot played for Brondello with the Australian national team, and Meesseman played for her in Russia with UMMC Ekaterinburg. So while it would normally take a while to get a newcomer accustomed to a team’s system mid-season, the Liberty’s two acquisitions already have some familiarity.
“I think our locker room allows people to be themselves authentically both off the court and on the court,” Natasha Cloud said. “On the court, Steph has played for Sandy for years with the Opals, so she fits into our schemes and to our offense.”
Cloud added that Meesseman has a scorer's reputation, but she can also be “a great facilitator of offense,” similar to Stewart.
“Our culture and our environment is gonna remain the same, and we're just gonna welcome those additions very happily,” she said.
Now, it’s just a matter of getting Meesseman to New York. Since news broke that she had committed to the Liberty, Cloud has reached out to share her excitement.
“She really just beats the sound of her own drum. When she wants to answer you, she's gonna answer you,” Cloud said with a laugh. “She protects her peace, her mental [health]. She's big on family time and taking steps away because of how much she pours into basketball and how much she gives to her teams and to the organizations that she plays for.”
Cloud added that Meesseman will “fit perfectly here.”
“When Emma calls you and tells you she’s coming, you just figure out the contract and you write it up and you wait till she signs her name on that dotted line,” she said.
