Liberty Take French Prospect With Final Pick of WNBA Draft

The New York Liberty said "oui" to adding another French prospect to their fold.

With the 38th and final pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft, the defending champion Liberty called on 20-year-old French center Adja Kane to enter their realm. Kane will be stashed overseas for development as New York seeks to add to its trophy case after claiming the 2024 WNBA title.

“As an organization, we pride ourselves on embracing the global nature of the game and are proactive in assembling a deep group of international talent,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said after the selection of Kane. “We had a unique opportunity tonight to select Adja Kane, a talented young player from a strong program in France, who will continue to develop overseas for the next few years with our support from afar.”

Standing at 6-3, Kane's most recent work came with Landerneau Bretagne Basket in her native France. She averaged 4.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 22 appearances. Kane has also been a mainstay on France's amateur national teams, notably serving as a spell option to second overall pick Dominique Malonga during a third-place run at the 2022 FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup.

The Liberty is no stranger to the art of French-born talents: the team recently welcomed back veteran Marine Johannes to its fold and continue to hold the WNBA rights of Marine Fauthoux, their third-round pick in 2021. Both partook in France run to a silver medal when it hosted the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

New York's selection of Kane rounded out an eventful at the 2025 draft, which was held at The Shed at Hudson Yards. University of Connecticut standout Paige Bueckers was the top choice, going to the Dallas Wings before Malonga was called by the Seattle Storm.

Sonia Citron (Notre Dame) and Kiki Iriafen (USC) went to the Washington Mystrics with the third and fourth picks while the Golden State Valkyries rounded out the top five by making Lithuanian star Juste Jocyte their first draft pick in franchise history.

The Liberty open their first championship defense on May 17 at home against the Las Vegas Aces.

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