2010 New York Liberty season explained

The 2010 WNBA season is the 14th season for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association.

Transactions

Dispersal draft

Based on the Liberty's 2009 record, they would pick 1st in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft. The Liberty picked Nicole Powell.

WNBA draft

The following are the Liberty's selections in the 2010 WNBA draft.

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	School/team/country
2	13	Kalana Greene		Connecticut
2	16 (from Chi.)	Ashley Houts		Georgia
3	25	Cory Montgomery		Nebraska

Transaction log

• May 5, 2009: The Liberty traded their first-round pick in the 2010 Draft to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Sidney Spencer.
• March 30: The Liberty traded Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld to the Chicago Sky in exchange for the Sky's second-round pick in the 2010 Draft. The Liberty also received Cappie Pondexter and Kelly Mazzante from the Phoenix Mercury as part of the three-team trade.
• April 6: The Liberty waived Loree Moore.
• April 8: The Liberty waived Kelly Mazzante.
• April 20: The Liberty released Ashley Battle.
• April 22: The Liberty signed free agent Taj McWilliams-Franklin.
• April 23: The Liberty signed Brandie Hoskins, Laine Selwyn, Tamara James, April Phillips, Katie Mattera and Erica Williamson to training camp contracts.
• April 28: The Liberty waived Brandie Hoskins.
• May 3: The Liberty waived Laine Selwyn.
• May 4: The Liberty waived Katie Mattera.
• May 9: The Liberty waived Cory Montgomery and Tamara James.
• May 12: The Liberty traded Ashley Houts to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Nikki Blue.
• June 14: The Liberty traded Tiffany Jackson to the Tulsa Shock in exchange for Plenette Pierson.

Trades

Date	Trade
May 5, 2009	width=325	To New York Liberty	width=325	To Los Angeles Sparks
	Sidney Spencer	first-round pick in 2010 Draft
March 30, 2010	width=325	To New York Liberty	width=325	To Chicago Sky
	Cappie Pondexter, Kelly Mazzante (from Phx.) and Chicago's second-round pick in 2010 Draft	Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld
June 14, 2010	width=325	To New York Liberty	width=325	To Tulsa Shock
	Plenette Pierson	Tiffany Jackson

Free agents

Additions

Player	Signed	Former team
Nicole Powell	December 14, 2009	Sacramento Monarchs
Cappie Pondexter	March 30, 2010	Phoenix Mercury
Taj McWilliams-Franklin	April 22, 2010	Tulsa Shock
Nikki Blue	May 12, 2010	Washington Mystics
Plenette Pierson	July 23, 2010	Tulsa Shock

Subtractions

Player	Left	New team
Shameka Christon	March 30, 2010	Chicago Sky
Cathrine Kraayeveld	March 30, 2010	Chicago Sky
Loree Moore	April 6, 2010	Seattle Storm
Ashley Battle	April 20, 2010	free agent
Tiffany Jackson	July 23, 2010	Tulsa Shock

Roster

Depth

Pos.	Starter	Bench
C	Taj McWilliams-Franklin	Kia Vaughn
PF	Janel McCarville	Plenette Pierson
SF	Nicole Powell	Kalana Greene / Sidney Spencer
SG	Cappie Pondexter	Essence Carson
PG	Leilani Mitchell	Nikki Blue

Schedule

Preseason

|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 1 || May 5 || 11:30am || @ Washington || 60-65 || McWilliams-Franklin (12) || McWilliams-Franklin (11) || Mitchell (4) || Verizon Center
7,152 || 0-1|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 2 || May 11 || 10:30am || Connecticut || 89-84 (3OT) || Greene, Pondexter (14) || Pondexter (11) || Pondexter (8) || Madison Square Garden
19,763 || 1-1|-

Regular season

|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 1 || May 16 || 4:00pm || Chicago || NBATV
MSG
CN100 || 85-82 || Pondexter (22) || McCarville (6) || Mitchell (9) || Madison Square Garden
12,088 || 1-0|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 2 || May 21 || 7:00pm || @ Washington || || 61-77 || Pondexter (14) || Powell (7) || Pondexter (8) || Verizon Center
10,158 || 1-1|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 3 || May 23 || 4:00pm || Atlanta || || 77-86 || Pondexter (21) || McCarville (9) || Mitchell, Pondexter, Powell (5) || Madison Square Garden
9,548 || 1-2|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 4 || May 28 || 8:00pm || @ San Antonio || || 77-71 || Pondexter (21) || McCarville, Powell (7) || Pondexter (7) || AT&T Center
5,293 || 2-2|-|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 5 || June 4 || 7:00pm || @ Connecticut || || 68-75 || McCarville, McWilliams-Franklin (14) || McCarville (13) || McCarville (5) || Mohegan Sun Arena
6,493 || 2-3|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 6 || June 5 || 7:00pm || @ Indiana || || 73-78 || Pondexter (21) || Pondexter (7) || Pondexter (5) || Conseco Fieldhouse
8,090 || 2-4|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 7 || June 8 || 8:00pm || @ Chicago || CN100 || 85-70 || Pondexter (31) || McWilliams-Franklin (9) || McWilliams-Franklin, Pondexter, Powell (3) || Allstate Arena
2,408 || 3-4|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 8 || June 11 || 7:30pm || Atlanta || || 91-79 || Pondexter (25) || Jackson, McWilliams-Franklin (6) || Pondexter (7) || Madison Square Garden
8,332 || 4-4|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 9 || June 12 || 7:00pm || @ Washington || CSN-MA || 65-82 || Pondexter (20) || McCarville (6) || Pondexter (3) || Verizon Center
8,492 || 4-5|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 10 || June 18 || 7:30pm || Seattle || || 84-92 || Pondexter (24) || Powell (6) || Mitchell (5) || Madison Square Garden
8,883 || 4-6|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 11 || June 22 || 7:30pm || Minnesota || || 68-75 || Pondexter (16) || Powell (9) || Pondexter (5) || Madison Square Garden
7,537 || 4-7|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 12 || June 25 || 8:00pm || @ Tulsa || COX || 92-78 || Mitchell (20) || McWilliams-Franklin (11) || McWilliams-Franklin, Powell (6) || BOK Center
4,554 || 5-7|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 13 || June 27 || 4:00pm || Connecticut || CSN-NE || 77-68 || Pondexter (19) || Powell (10) || McWilliams-Franklin (5) || Madison Square Garden
15,293 || 6-7|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 14 || June 29 || 10:30pm || @ Los Angeles || NBATV
PRIME || 80-68 || Pondexter (19) || McWilliams-Franklin, Powell (7) || Mitchell, Pondexter (5) || STAPLES Center
8,602 || 7-7|-|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 15 || July 3 || 10:00pm || @ Phoenix || || 82-97 || Pondexter (21) || McCarville, Pierson, Pondexter (6) || Mitchell (5) || US Airways Center
6,780 || 7-8|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 16 || July 6 || 3:00pm || @ Seattle || || 70-78 || McWilliams-Franklin (20) || McWilliams-Franklin (10) || Pondexter (5) || KeyArena
11,012 || 7-9|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 17 || July 11 || 4:00pm || Chicago || MSG || 57-54 || Pondexter (30) || McWilliams-Franklin, Pondexter (8) || McCarville (4) || Madison Square Garden
9,644 || 8-9|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 18 || July 15 || 12:00pm || Washington || || 75-67 || Pondexter (17) || McCarville (12) || Pondexter (7) || Madison Square Garden
18,162 || 9-9|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 19 || July 18 || 4:00pm || Indiana || MSG || 81-84 (OT) || Pondexter (40) || McCarville, Pondexter (6) || Pondexter (7) || Madison Square Garden
9,508 || 9-10|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 20 || July 20 || 8:00pm || @ Connecticut || ESPN2 || 82-74 (OT) || Pondexter (24) || McCarville, Mitchell (8) || Pondexter (6) || Mohegan Sun Arena
6,478 || 10-10|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 21 || July 23 || 8:30pm || @ Chicago || CN100 || 79-71 || McWilliams-Franklin (18) || Powell (7) || Pondexter (6) || Allstate Arena
5,256 || 11-10|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 22 || July 25 || 3:00pm || @ Atlanta || NBATV
SSO || 75-82 || Pondexter (26) || Pierson (6) || Pondexter (6) || Philips Arena
7,030 || 11-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 23 || July 27 || 7:30pm || San Antonio || ESPN2 || 77-72 || Greene (17) || Pierson (8) || Mitchell (8) || Madison Square Garden
10,712 || 12-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 24 || July 30 || 7:30pm || Los Angeles || || 88-79 || Pondexter (20) || McWilliams-Franklin (9) || Mitchell (5) || Madison Square Garden
14,307 || 13-11|-|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 25 || August 1 || 4:00pm || Connecticut || MSG || 71-67 || Pondexter (24) || McCarville, Pierson (6) || Powell (5) || Madison Square Garden
9,341 || 14-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 26 || August 3 || 7:00pm || @ Indiana || FS-I || 82-72 || Powell (20) || McCarville (10) || Pondexter (5) || Conseco Fieldhouse
7,540 || 15-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 27 || August 6 || 7:30pm || Washington || || 85-77 || Pondexter (23) || McCarville (5) || Mitchell (6) || Madison Square Garden
11,465 || 16-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 28 || August 8 || 7:00pm || @ Minnesota || NBATV
FS-N || 74-72 || Powell (21) || McCarville (8) || Mitchell, Pondexter, Powell (4) || Target Center
9,016 || 17-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 29 || August 13 || 7:00pm || @ Atlanta || SSO || 90-83 || Pondexter (31) || Carson (7) || McWilliams-Franklin (7) || Philips Arena
6,025 || 18-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 30 || August 14 || 7:30pm || Phoenix || NBATV
MSG || 107-69 || Pondexter (28) || Pierson (9) || McCarville (6) || Madison Square Garden
9,645 || 19-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 31 || August 17 || 7:30pm || Indiana || || 78-57 || Pondexter (19) || McWilliams-Franklin (10) || Pondexter (6) || Madison Square Garden
8,953 || 20-11|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 32 || August 19 || 7:30pm || Tulsa || || 95-85 || Powell (20) || Pierson (8) || Mitchell (8) || Madison Square Garden
8,766 || 21-11|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 33 || August 20 || 7:00pm || @ Washington || || 74-75 || Pondexter (28) || McCarville, McWilliams-Franklin, Powell (6) || Powell (5) || Verizon Center
13,109 || 21-12|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 34 || August 22 || 4:00pm || Connecticut || MSG || 88-87 (OT) || Pondexter (31) || Powell (8) || Pondexter (6) || Madison Square Garden
15,989 || 22-12|-| All games are viewable on WNBA LiveAccess

Postseason

|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 1 || August 26 || 7:00pm || Indiana || NBATV
MSG || 85-73 || Pondexter (28) || McWilliams-Franklin (10) || McCarville (7) || Madison Square Garden
14,624 || 1-0 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 2 || August 29 || 8:00pm || @ Indiana || ESPN2 || 67-75 || Pondexter (24) || McCarville (11) || Mitchell, Pondexter (2) || Conseco Fieldhouse
7,535 || 1-1|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb"| 3 || September 1 || 7:30pm || Indiana || NBATV
MSG || 77-74 || Pondexter (30) || McWilliams-Franklin (11) || McWilliams-Franklin, Mitchell, Pondexter (4) || Madison Square Garden
16,682 || 2-1 |-|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 1 || September 5 || 7:00pm || Atlanta || NBATV
MSG || 75-81 || Pondexter (24) || McWilliams-Franklin (11) || Mitchell (6) || Madison Square Garden
14,248 || 0-1 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"| 2 || September 7 || 7:30pm || @ Atlanta || NBATV
MSG
FSSO || 93-105 || Pondexter (36) || McWilliams-Franklin (6) || Pondexter (9) || Philips Arena
9,045 || 0-2 |-

Statistics

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
	15	0	5.1	.286	.167	.714	0.4	0.9	0.27	0.00	1.2
	34	0	9.6	.407	.160	.688	1.6	0.7	0.41	0.24	3.7
	33	0	15.7	.464	.333	.625	1.6	0.9	0.39	0.21	4.5
	9	0	13.8	.370	.000	.760	3.1	0.4	0.7	0.1	4.3
	34	34	28.4	.462	.273	.820	5.9	2.2	1.35	0.68	8.8
	34	34	29.2	.511	.261	.826	5.4	2.0	1.38	0.88	10.6
	34	34	28.8	.441	.486	.814	2.6	3.8	1.62	0.18	9.3
	25	0	16.7	.458	.250	.817	3.8	1.1	0.68	0.32	9.0
	34	34	34.3	.483	.430	.892	4.5	4.9	0.88	0.12	21.4
	34	34	26.3	.389	.395	.839	4.2	2.2	1.00	0.21	9.3
	20	0	8.4	.512	.533	.000	0.8	0.3	0.30	0.00	2.6
	30	0	8.1	.348	1.000	.650	1.4	0.3	0.20	0.20	2.1

Awards and honors

• Cappie Pondexter was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of June 5, 2010.
• Cappie Pondexter was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 17, 2010.
• Cappie Pondexter was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 24, 2010.
• Cappie Pondexter was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of August 7, 2010.
• Cappie Pondexter was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of August 14, 2010.
• Cappie Pondexter was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for August.
• Cappie Pondexter was named to the 2010 WNBA All-Star Team as a Team USA starter.
• Kalana Greene was named to the All-Rookie Team.
• Cappie Pondexter was named to the All-Defensive First Team.
• Cappie Pondexter was named to the All-WNBA First Team.
• Leilani Mitchell was named the Most Improved Player.^[1]

Notes and References

1. News: Liberty's Leilani Mitchell Is WNBA's Most Improved. CBS News. August 26, 2010. February 21, 2024.