Brittany Boyd, a 2015 first-round pick out of Cal, was set to be the longest-tenured member of the New York Liberty.
The New York Liberty waived guard Brittany Boyd on Tuesday. Her New York tenure ends at five years after joining the team as a first-round pick (ninth overall) in 2015.
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“Brittany has been a valuable member of the Liberty for the past five seasons,” general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a team statement. “However, we are going in a different direction at her position and wanted to give her ample time to pursue other opportunities across the league. We wish her nothing but the best.”
Boyd, 26, was a three-time All-Pac-12 team nominee at Cal-Berkeley prior to her WNBA entry. She averaged 6.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals over five seasons. WNBA All-Rookie Team honors awaited her after her first season. After missing all but two games the year before, she came back to finish in a fourth-place tie with Diana Taurasi in assists (5.3 per game) during the 2018 campaign. Boyd’s 2019 haul (4.6) was good for another return to the top 10 this season.
Her overall tallies of 504 assists are good for eighth in franchise history, while her 174 steals rank 10th.
Boyd perhaps became expendable with the surplus of guards on the Liberty roster. The team re-signed Marine Johannes this earlier this offseason and added Layshia Clarendon through free agency. Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon was chosen with the top overall pick of Friday’s WNBA Draft, which also saw the arrival of Louisville’s Jazmine Jones. Fellow guard Bria Hartley left for Phoenix in free agency, while Tanisha Wright retired.
After last week’s trade of Tina Charles, Boyd was set to share the longest-tenure on the Liberty roster. The honor now solely goes to forward Rebecca Allen, who is likewise set to enter her sixth season with the team.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
