In the world of basketball, adopting consistency, continuity, and fostering relationships isn’t a game plan; it’s a way of life for reigning WNBA Executive of the Year, Jonathan Kolb. He has held the position of GM of the New York Liberty since 2019 and has made major strides in building a roster to compete for a championship. Coming off a sleepless 2023 offseason that resulted in acquiring 3 all-stars in free agency, Jonathon was the first GM to ever achieve this. However, he understands the job is far from done. The NY Liberty was able to achieve a franchise-best 32-8 record, their 1st Commissioner Cup Trophy, and made it to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2002 but ultimately fell short.
Going into the offseason, there were many questions regarding the free agency status of Commissioner Cup MVP, Jonquel Jones, and reigning season MVP, Breanna Stewart. However, Jonathan expressed back in October his priority to retain the free agents and followed through with his promise this 2024 offseason. He cored Breanna Stewart and was able to bring back Jonquel on a multi-year deal through the 2025 season, but we need to look back at the moves he secured during the historic 2023 season that ultimately prove his desire for continuity, and building a championship roster.
Back in May, the Liberty extended Sabrina’s rookie contract on a multi-year deal through the 2025 season. Sabrina left money on the table to return to the Liberty. Not only does this keep her out of free agency but offers flexibility for the moves that followed. In Sept, the team followed up with extensions for Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Kayla Thornton, both going through the 2025 season. Keeping the contending core together shows commitment to building chemistry on and off the court but also shows a desire from the players to want to continue playing for the New Liberty organization.
Although the Liberty were top 3 in defensive rating, Jonathan doesn’t look to settle and wants the team to be number one. The offseason acquisitions, along with the Liberty’s moves in the 2024 WNBA draft, show the team’s commitment to defense first and versatility. Looking at the training camp roster, the team consists of lengthy players able to play and defend multiple positions. The team is a melting pot, with players from 7 different countries, and they all have a desire to help the Liberty compete to win the first championship in franchise history.
There was a false narrative after the finals loss last season that the Liberty were a bad perimeter defensive team, and I asked Jonathan about what the team did this year to improve, and he said, “We know to get where we want to go, we gotta be elite in that category, and with that, off the bench, we just wanted to get a little more athletic, a little more versatile. We got a lot of players that can slide up and slide down positionally, depending on what the matchup dictates and indicates is needed, and I think we got grit off the bench this year.”
When we speak about fostering relationships and building trust, Jonathan Kolb does an amazing job at setting the standard. We can look back at the work he and the front office did to get Stewie to commit to NYC but most recently the trust built to get forward Kennedy Burke to the Liberty. Kennedy Burke was just coming off a career season with her French Club, winning MVP and competing for a championship but was faced with the tough decision to leave her ball club to join the Liberty.
When I spoke to Kennedy, she emphasized how much Jonathan made her comfortable to make this tough decision. Kennedy states, “It was a bittersweet feeling, pretty emotional my last couple of days, the fact that I was leaving such great people, but this is a great opportunity for me to grow as a person and player. Jonathan has been amazing in keeping contact with me, making sure everything is okay even when I was away…. It’s just been consistent, and it’s much appreciated.”
The offseason does not exist for the front office because there is no off. It’s a lot of work that often goes overlooked because many are so focused on the finished product, but the Liberty front office continues to push in building an elite roster to perform on the court and to perform within the organization.
When asked about continuity, Kolb says, “Our organization functions where we just want the players to worry about playing, and the coaches to worry about coaching, and we take care of everything else. That’s something I’m really proud of. For us, that’s what it is; there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes, but the staff makes sure that this is a place the players love playing. We want this experience to be second to none.”
You really see the truth in that statement from top to bottom when looking at the entire Liberty organization. The roster is not yet finalized, but the team will stand its first preseason test with a matchup against the Chicago Sky on Tuesday, May 7, then its final preseason matchup at Connecticut to face the Sun, in two matchups that will not be televised. Training camp ends May 13th, and the Liberty 2024 season tips off on May 14. The goal of the New Liberty is to bring the 1st ever championship in franchise history and establish continuity as the best organization in the league.
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