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It’s too early to say if the New York Liberty have fully pulled out of their tailspin, but the team has won three of its last four games. Over the past week, Leonie Fiebich has been a major reason why.
Fiebich had her best game of the season on Sunday in the Liberty’s 79-72 comeback win over the Atlanta Dream, scoring 21 points on 8-9 shooting from the field and going 4-5 from three.
Her performance was enough to earn high praise from her head coach, Sandy Brondello.
“We’re encouraging her to shoot, obviously,” Brondello said after the game. “I put her in the actions there cause she's the most pure shooter I've ever seen, and with her size at 6’4, her ability to come off a screen and just get balance and shoot it. It's beautiful.”
Fiebich was a revelation last season as one of the best rookies in the WNBA. She quickly forced her way into the starting lineup and was a crucial player down the stretch as the Liberty captured their first championship in franchise history.
This season, Fiebich got off to a slower start, joining the team just before the season opener when her overseas commitments ended. After scoring 20 total points through her first five games, she turned a corner to end May, putting in a 12-point, nine-rebound and three-block performance against the Washington Mystics.
But even then, it was difficult for her to get into a groove, as she left to participate in EuroBasket in early June. The Liberty went 2-5 in her absence, with her return coinciding with the start of the team’s recent 3-1 streak.
“If you haven't worked that out yet, I love everything about Leo and what she brings to this team,” Brondello added. “She's the ultimate professional, how she comes ready to play and selfless.”
Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich is showing her versatility
Fiebich may be the most “pure shooter” that her coach has ever seen, but she can do far more than shoot.
In fact, when she’s not scoring, Fiebich has made a gigantic impact defensively. Brondello had been critical of her team’s defensive effort throughout its losing streak, but when Fiebich returned from EuroBasket, it became immediately clear that she is a difference-maker on that end.
At 6’4, Fiebich has the length and versatility to guard anywhere on the court and has made a habit of getting into passing lanes or just disrupting the flow of the opponent’s offense.
“She takes pride in defense, loves defense, so we love players like that, but we're gonna continue to grow on that offensive side,” Brondello said.
From Fiebich’s perspective, she likes defense because it’s something she can control. As she explained, some nights her shot just isn’t going to fall. Luck isn’t nearly as much of a factor on the other end.
“If you go into a game with an offensive mindset, you never know if your shot's gonna fall or not,” she said. “You never know if you will get the calls, and on defense you always know what you have to do, the aggression you play with and the intensity, that's just something you can control. I just don't want to rely on the uncontrollables on offense.”
