Liberty Reserve Makes Major Announcement
Sacre seafoam bleu! Marin Johannes is apparently set to stay with the New York Liberty.
Johannes announced on her Instagram story on Wednesday that she would not partake in the upcoming EuroBasket Women competition. The French-born Johannes was widely expected to reprise her role on Les Bleus but instead appears to be on pace to stick this season out in Brooklyn.
“After taking the necessary time to reflect, I have finally decided not to participate in the European Championship this summer," Johannes said on Instagram (h/t Google Translate). "It wasn’t an easy choice to make, but it seems to me to be the right one today. I wish the entire French team the best ... with the most beautiful medal of all to go after!”
Marine Johannes on Instagram:
— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) May 21, 2025
English Translation, via Google: “After taking the necessary time to reflect, I have finally decided not to participate in the European Championship this summer. It wasn’t an easy choice to make, but it seems to me to be the right one today. I wish… pic.twitter.com/5fpQZyxSYe
Johannes previously repped Les Bleus when France earned a silver medal when it hosted last summer's Olympic Games. It was Johannes' second Olympic medal after she earned a bronze in the Tokyo Games three years prior.
France's loss is Brooklyn's gain, as Johannes is set to spend a full season in New York. She originally joined the team in 2019 and began her fourth metropolitan tour on Saturday when the Liberty opened their first postseason championship defense with a 92-78 win over the Las Vegas Aces.
While Johannes missed all of last year's title run to focus on international affairs, she has become a fan favorite with her propensity for highlight reel-worthy passes and acrobatic three-pointers. Over her first three seasons in seafoam (2019, 2022-23), Johannes averaged 8.0 points and 2.4 assists in just over 20 minutes a game. She placed fourth in 2023 Sixth Woman of the Year vote won by Alysha Clark of Las Vegas.
Though Johannes is set to stay in Brooklyn, the Liberty are still set to send two players to the EuroBasket competition: Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally will likely take the floor for Germany after starring in "Die Nationalen's" first Olympic trip last summer.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.