Victorious Leonie Fiebich Close to Liberty Return
New York Liberty star Leonie Fiebich's hands will be a little heavier after this week.
A year of winning continued for Fiebich continued this week, as the soon-to-be WNBA sophomore helped guide Spanish club Valencia to a Liga Femenina de Baloncesto title. Fiebich previously played a major role in the Liberty's first postseason championship run last fall and earned All-Rookie team honors in her American debut.
With her Spanish commitments wrapped up, Fiebich is expected to re-don seafoam fairly soon: while she is not with the team as it engages in a Monday exhibition against the Toyota Antelopes in Eugene, OR (10 p.m. ET, WWOR), Fiebich is expected to return to New York this week. She'll also reportedly be in attendance for the team's ring and banner ceremony prior to its 2025 season opener against the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday afternoon (h/t Madeline Kenny, New York Post).
Fiebich emerged as one of the post pleasant surprises of last year's women's basketball season, as her sterling defense and propensity to sink the three-ball were memorable subplots of the Liberty's run to the Finals. She was inserted into the starting five during the postseason and averaged 11.6 points on over 54 percent from the field. For her efforts, Fiebich placed second in the vote for Sixth Woman of the Year, behind only winner Tiffany Hayes of Las Vegas.
In addition to WNBA Finals, Fiebich also appeared in the Summer Olympics, where she repped her homeland of Germany in Paris alongside Liberty teammate Nyara Sabally.
"She has a lot of great confidence but I think that comes from playing international basketball, being on bigger and larger scenes," Liberty legend Tina Charles said of Fiebich after last postseason's first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Dream. "She's very poised, (goes) straight into her shot. They were looking for her and once you see the ball go in, you just get great confidence and I think this team, the Liberty, has given her great confidence in her role regardless if she's starting or coming off the bench."
Fiebich entered the WNBA as a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, where she was chosen by the Los Angeles Sparks. She came to New York in a multi-pronged deal partly headlined by the Liberty dealing 2021 Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere to Phoenix.
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.