A New York super team is about to begin its season.
The star-studded New York Liberty, in a quest for their first championship in franchise history, tip off on Friday when they face the Washington Mystics in the WNBA season opener.
The Liberty went on a free agency spending spree in the offseason, adding three players with a combined 12 All-Star appearances and six WNBA Finals appearances. That included two recent MVPs in Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones and one of the league's best point guards of all time in Courtney Vandersloot.
They join a Liberty team that had been led by Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft who, after two injury-plagued seasons, made her first All-Star team last season.
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That combination makes the WNBA's only still-active original franchise yet to win a title a championship contender.
The Liberty finished 16-20 last season, losing to the Chicago Sky in the first round of the playoffs.
They start the 2023 campaign against a Mystics team that finished 22-14 last season before losing in the first round to Stewart's Seattle Storm. Former league MVP Elena Delle Donne enters the season fully healthy, saying she doesn't "plan to miss any games" this season for Washington.
Sports
Here's everything you need to know about the Liberty's opening game:
LIBERTY vs. MYSTICS HOW TO WATCH
What: New York Liberty vs. Washington Mystics
Where: Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington D.C.
When: Friday, May 19, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: Liberty vs. Mystics will be broadcast locally on My9 and nationally on NBA TV
Live Stream: You can live stream Liberty vs. Mystics on YES Network's live stream page and on the YES Network app.
LIBERTY vs. MYSTICS PLAYERS TO WATCH
Elena Delle Donne, F, Mystics: The former WNBA champion and two-time MVP was Washington's leading scorer last season, even while not at full strength. The six-time All-Star averaged 17.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season.
Sabrina Ionescu, G, Liberty: The first pick in the 2020 draft, after being hampered by injuries over her first two seasons, was named an All-Star last season while averaging 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. A nightly triple-double threat, Ionescu could enter the MVP conversation this season.
