Liberty re-sign Rebecca Allen; waive Jaz Jones and Neah Odom

During the Thursday press conference to introduce new free agent acquisition Stef Dolson, New York Liberty GM, Jonathan Kolb, was asked about the prospect of re-signing guard/forward Rebecca Allen and said:

“Should have some news on [Allen] very soon for you and I would say it’s a very high priority.”

As it turns out, “very soon” meant the very next day! Rachel Galligan of Just Women’s Sports and Winsidr broke the news:

The team made it official, signing Rebecca Allen to a new two-year contract. Jackie Powell of The Next reported Allen’s contract over two years will pay $141,000 in the first year and $136,850 in the second. Kolb spoke about Allen and said:

“Bec has an incredible versatility on both sides of the ball, and has provided us with consistent veteran leadership over the years. Her return to New York is vital to solidifying our team’s core and I believe that she is poised for another career year in Brooklyn under Sandy’s tutelage.”

Although Allen only shot 34 percent overall from the field, she did shoot 38 percent from 3-point range and a career best 89.1 percent from the free throw line. The Liberty offense was 3-point heavy in 2021 (first in attempts and third in efficiency), so Allen didn’t attack the basket very frequently. She does have the potential to add that to her game

...and with Sandy Brondello placing a greater emphasis on paint shots, so a newer focus on getting to the basket will open her game up and allow the Liberty to explore new avenues on offense. We’re a long way away from the start of training camp, but from here, the early read on the starting five figures to be Sabrina Ionescu-Allen-Betnijah Laney-Natasha Howard-Dolson. As they figure out the rest of the roster, the Liberty hope to build upon this foundation.

With Allen back in the fold and the acquisition of Dolson, the Liberty had to make some difficult roster choices. On Friday afternoon, the team announced that they waived Jazmine Jones

and Leaonna Odom

In Jones, the Liberty are losing a sparkplug off the bench and in Odom a solid sophomore that came off the bench. Kolb bigged up the departing players and said:

“We would like to thank Jazmine and Leaonna for their contributions to the Liberty organization over the past two seasons. Both players were consummate teammates during their time here, and we wish them all the best.”

With free agency ongoing and the WNBA Draft coming up in April, the Liberty have a fantastic opportunity to build on their 2021 playoff appearance and climb higher heights.