Emma miseman Signing with WNBA coming back to WNBA New York Liberty On Monday. This is big news for league and defending champions.
When Measman was drafts in the WNBA in 2013, he did not draw much attention as the 19 -year -old forward raised in the second round. But it was soon clear that then-Washington Mistics General Manager Mike Thibault selected a magnificent young talent.
Measman played his original Belgium professionally since the age of 16. She blossomed in her time at WNBA, concluding with her WNBA final MVP performance in 2019 when Mistics also did season MVP season in Elena del Done.
The 32 -year -old Miceman has not played in WNBA since 2022, but has continued to stand out abroad. She was the MVP of the recent Eurobacket tournament won by her Belgian team.
Misemen joined a Liberty team, which dealt with injuries this season and has seen his post game impressed by the expansion draft. Alexa Philipo, Kevin Pelton and Michael Voepel noticed what Meesman meant for New York and the rest of WNBA.
Has the 2025 WNBA titled Freedom Freed In Chase by adding meesman?
Philippou: They are now clear favorite. Yes, Measman must include in the fold, and it will have to be done that the mid-season is not always the easiest. But freedom now has three final MVPs – Breena stewart (2018, 2020), Meesman (2019) and Zoncl Jones (2024). It is a ridiculous, versatile frontcourt that is going to wreak havoc on opponents, and Meesman is a player whose skill set and nature should allow him to fit originally with his new group. He is also very familiar with many Liberty players, which he played with other squads around the world, and even coached by Sandy Brondelo and Olaf Lang in Russia.
Something to note: The arrival of Messeman in Brooklyn is subject to how much time the visa application takes, so it is not that it will be able to suit against fever on Tuesday.
Pelton: I think so too. There was already a fair case that New York was entitled to that title despite being just .500 since the beginning of 9–0. Most of those damage have come without jones, whose absence has helped trigger the tiger of liberty. The New York is 8–1 when Jones plays, and he left a lonely loss after nine minutes with an ankle sprain, which has ever sidelined him. Jones is already expected to return to the lineup this week.
My former piece is considering what is freedom May be better than last season Not well old, but with Miceman – whose presence can make Stewart easy to transfer to a small lineup to New York when Jones is on the bench – the question is worth asking again.
Voepel: This probably makes New York a favorite, but let’s see how things go once, when Measman comes and how well it is Minnesota Links And Phoenix mercury Play in the coming weeks. We have a very good idea of what links looks in their best, but injuries have stopped us from seeing it for mercury.
How does Meesman’s return affect the rest of the league?
Pelton: The greatest impact is to strengthen liberty and links as a favorite of the final. A half game of New York in Mercury, Standing, it could clearly enter that Tier had added Miceman to All-Star Duo Satou sabally And Elisa ThomasOn the other side in a commendable semi -final matchup, with Micemann, stopping the 2024 final rematch would be more difficult for Phoenix.
Voepel: It is not difficult to see it as a game-changer at the top of the league. But by the same token, Links has kept some separation between himself and every other team during the first half of the season.
Both links and mercury can also bend in some stories that this step puts more pressure to repeat on New York. Links and mercury players are still very confident.
Philippou: Miceman was not going to join any team in the league just. She wants to win a championship. We are yet to see the best from Phoenix, which has players inside and outside the lineup due to injury, and only recently brought. Devanna boneerAnd links are still the top team in standing for a reason.
But Maceman Sweepstake decided to tip the scales on the title race, especially if he chose either Liberty or Links to run it back after appearing in the last year’s final. On paper, his arrival strengthens the talent and depth of New York as the best in the league – and now other titles expectations are a big challenge ahead of him because they look at the defending champs.
Meesman has not played in WNBA since 2022. What should we expect from him?
Philippou: The new WNBA can be fans, when in 2019, Meesman assisted Mistakes in a championship when she became the first reserve player to win the final MVP – she took an average per game for 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assistance. He was a very big free agent in 2022 Chicago skyWhere she was one of her top scorers, before the then defires were shocked in game 5 of the semi -finals.
And even when she has been absent from the WNBA in the last few season, Meesman made a strong case as one of the best players in the world as she dominated Turkish Power Fanarbahe and Belgium’s national team.
Pelton: She has been as good at the international level as usual. Misemen led all the players in scoring with 58% shooting for Belgium during last year’s Olympics, which reached the semi -finals before disappearing on a medal. And she continues to act with the WNBA teammates for FENERBAHCE, on average 16.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 4.3 APG to win the MVP honor for playing Euroleague in the previous season.
Voepel: Miceman has a kind of personality in which she can fit quickly and originally anywhere. Even though he is a long -time star of the Belgian national team, he never needs to pay attention to WNBA. She will play a supplementary role when necessary, but she can still take it in sports if needed. In addition to her talent, her adaptability and the ease she met with others was also part of the reason that Liberty, Links and Mercury wanted her very much.
