The New York Liberty confirmed the return of Rebecca Allen and two other free agents, including bench spark Amanda Zahui B.
A few more familiar faces will be returning for the New York Liberty, ushering in a new era for the team.
The team announced several transactions on Wednesday. Free agent center Amanda Zahui B. will return, as will forward Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe.
New York also confirmed the re-signing of guard Rebecca Allen and the addition of guard Kelly Faris to their training camp roster.
Though financial terms of the deals were not disclosed, WNBA.com labeled them as “multi-year.”
Amanda Zahui B.
Zahui B., 25, is coming off a career-best season with the Liberty. She provided a spark off the bench for the team, averaging a personal best in scoring (7.7) over 29 games.
The second overall pick of the 2015 WNBA Draft out of Minnesota also discovered three-point prowess.
After earning just five triples over the past two seasons, the Stockholm, Sweden native sank 21 last season, another high. Her 34 percent success rate from distance was good for third on the team.
In terms of single-game success, Zahui B. also set new career marks in points (21 at Los Angeles on Jun. 24) and rebounds (11 against Seattle on Aug. 6). She reached double figures in scoring in four of her final five games.
[membership level="0"] [/membership]Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe
Also returning is Raincock-Ekunwe, 27, who spent last season playing in France. She spent the 2017 season in New York, appearing in 32 games, starting two.
Averaging 3.7 points and 1.8 rebounds, Raincock-Ekunwe’s career-best night was a 12-point performance in an August win over Connecticut.
This past September, the Toronto-born Raincock-Ekunwe played alongside fellow New York representative Kia Nurse for Canada’s national squad at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Spain.
Raincock-Ekunwe averaged 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds over six games in the tournament, including a double-double showing (13 points, 10 rebounds) in a victorious conclusion of group play over France.
Rebecca Allen and Kelly Faris
Finally, the team confirmed the additions of Allen and Faris, first reported by Rachel Galligan last week.
Allen likewise partook in the World Cup festivities, finishing second in scoring on Australia’s silver-medal squad. Faris, on New York’s training camp roster for the second-consecutive season, last played with the Connecticut Sun in 2016.
Liberty head coach Katie Smith, entering her second season at the helm, expressed excitement for the returning quartet in three separate photo posts.
The Liberty, under the new ownership of Brooklyn Nets minority owner Joseph Tsai, will open their 2019 season on May 24 against Indiana at Westchester County Center.
