What makes the New York Liberty defense so good? They have 'some super long people'

NEW YORK — For as tough as it is to score on the New York Liberty given all their defensive length, Jonquel Jones can imagine an even more intimidating — and longer — matchup. 

That’s because when the 6-foot-6 Jones (wingspan: 6-foot-9¼) played with 6-foot-4 forward Breanna Stewart (wingspan: 7-foot-1) and 6-foot-9 Brittney Griner (wingspan: 7-foot-3½) in Russia a few years ago, the three of them combined to bring UMMC Ekaterinburg’s front court wingspan to an average of more than seven feet. 

Sub New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich for Griner, and New York’s average wingspan checks in at just 6-foot-5. 

In other words, it could be worse. Not that that’s much of a consolation when you’re trying to score on that many outstretched arms. 

A long wingspan — the measurement taken finger tip to finger tip, with one’s arms stretched wide — is often a hallmark of good defenders. Length like that can disrupt passing lanes, alter and block shots, tip defensive rebounds to teammates and in general make life miserable for opposing offenses. 

Much has been made about the Liberty, a so-called “super team” whose roster was put together by signing some of the league’s top talent via free agency in 2023. New York brought in Jones and Stewart during that period, both of whom had an MVP trophy (Stewart won her second last season). But what many missed as the Liberty stockpiled some of the world’s best players was how long that talent was. 

Besides Stewart and Jones, both of whom were selected for the WNBA’s All-Defense teams, 6-foot guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, has a wingspan of 6-foot-3 3/4 (she also received mulitple All-Defense votes). Fiebich, a rookie, is 6-foot-4 and has a 6-foot-4 wingspan.

As Jones put it: “That’s some super long people protecting the paint.” 

“It helps me because there’s a lot of times we’re switching on guards and I can trust the people behind me that they’re gonna have my back,” said Jones, who averaged 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks during the regular season. “I don’t always have to be the person rotating to help (protect the rim).”

It’s bad enough to go up against one or two long defenders. But with the exception of 5-foot-11 guard Sabrina Ionescu, whose wingspan measures only 5-foot-9½, each of New York’s starters has a wingspan that equals or exceeds their height. 

New York’s subs are long, too: Forward Kayla Thornton, who averaged 20 minutes off the bench this season, is just 6-foot-1 but has a wingspan of 6-foot-4. 

It's not all fun and games for people who boast those wingspans, though. As Stewart joked during the semifinals vs. Las Vegas, it's tough to find long sleeve shirts that are actually long enough.

Early in her career, Ionescu experienced first-hand how tough it is to score on someone with that length when she played against Stewart in Seattle. 

“Being on the same team as her now, seeing how she’s able to block so many shots, redirect passes, get tips,” Ionescu said. “She’s everywhere on the defensive end just with her ability to use her hands and her wingspan and her height to her advantage. I definitely know first hand that it’s long.” 

So what’s it like when Ionescu goes up against Stewart at the rim? 

“I don’t,” Ionescu deadpanned. “I’ll just pass out.” 

She laughed, then continued. 

“She’s able to use her length so well to kind of bait you into a shot and then deflect it, or make you think you have a look at the rim and then come out of nowhere and block it. Being able to watch how she rim protects is amazing.” 

There’s a trick to scoring on that type of length, said Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve: Go under it. 

“Play underneath, don’t go over the top — that’s what we try to coach,” Reeve said. “If we try to play over the top and we’re a little smaller, that usually doesn’t go well for us, so be disciplined and fundamental.”

The Lynx didn’t seem to have much trouble in Game 1, a 95-93 overtime win in which Minnesota shot 50.7% from the field. But they know it’s caused problems for other teams all season. 

As Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon, who cited New York’s length as an issue for the Aces in their semifinal series loss to the Liberty, said, “If you put all those wingspans on the board, it looks like an NBA team.” 

Hammon, who played 16 years in the WNBA, recalls some other long defensive teams over the years, most notably the Detroit Shock in the early 2000s.

The other memorable thing about the Shock besides their length: The fact that they won WNBA championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008. 

New York, which is playing in its sixth Finals but still looking for its first title, is hoping that bodes well for the Liberty. 

Email Lindsay Schnell at [email protected] and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell