Liberty Sign Sandy Brondello Protege Isabelle Harrison

The New York Liberty have welcomed Isabelle Harrisons to the fold for her seventh WNBA season.

Jun 12, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Isabelle Harrison (20) goes to the basket against the Connecticut Sun during the second half of a basketball game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The New York Liberty hope to have found a desert gem from Sandy Brondello's prior coaching stop.

The Liberty announced the signing of Isabelle Harrison on Friday, reuniting her with Brondello, her original WNBA head coach when she joined the league as a first-round pick out of Tennessee in 2015.

“We are excited to welcome Izzy Harrison to the Liberty family and look forward to the positive impact she will have on and off the court,” Brondello said in a statement from the team. “Having originally drafted her with Phoenix, she has consistently demonstrated the ability to impact games on both ends. Izzy’s versatility and commitment strengthens our post rotation and makes her an ideal fit for our team as we pursue another championship in 2025.”

Harrison, 31, is fresh off a comeback season with the Chicago Sky, which saw her average 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in just over 16 minutes a game, mostly in relief. Injuries have frequently interrupted Harrison's career: she missed her whole rookie season due an ACL and also missed all of 2018 due to an illness but she made a career-best 36 appearances last season in Chicago.

In addition to the Mercury and Sky, Harrison has also suited up for the San Antonio Stars (working under then-Stars head coach and Liberty legend Vickie Johnson) and Dallas Wings.

For the time being, Harrison stands as the Liberty's headlining addition of the offseason, one that has already bid farewell to depth stars like Kayla Thornton and Courtney Vandersloot, both of whom came up big off the bench during the aforementioned championship run.

Harrison's two-way tenacity should help make up for the loss of Thornton, who was drafted by the Golden State Valkyries in December's expansion draft. Of note, Harrison was the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year in the Athletes Unlimited domestic offseason league (which currently features fellow New Yorker Jaylyn Sherrod) and now serves on its player executive committee.

The Liberty open their first postseason championship defense on May 17 in Brooklyn when they host the Las Vegas Aces.

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