The New York Liberty didn't have to add one of the world's best players in the middle of the season to beef up their title defense, but they did it anyway, and now New York looks like the favorite once again to hoist the trophy at the end of the year.
Emma Meesseman is the best player in the world to not be on a WNBA roster. Wait, let me rephrase that: Emma Meesseman was the best player in the world to not be on a WNBA roster, because she's signing with the Liberty, making a good team even better.
Add in that New York also signed Stephanie Talbot, and the Liberty look set to cruise to another title.
How will Emma Meesseman impact the Liberty's title defense?
New York has been hobbled a bit lately with Jonquel Jones sidelined. Jones, a former WNBA MVP who was in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year when she was healthy at the start of the year, hasn't played since June 19 with an ankle injury. However, Jones is expected back on Tuesday night.
Meesseman, then, isn't a Jones replacement so much as she's a Nyara Sabally replacement, which is just a massive improvement. Sabally deserves credit for the things she does well, like her ability to block shots and finish inside, but the level that Meesseman plays at is just so much higher.
The Belgian star is an unofficial member of the 50/40/90 club, missing out on it in 2019 because she didn't quite have the volume needed to officially qualify. She gives the Liberty another scoring threat who can step out to the perimeter. New York basically running three bigs who can all theoretically shoot — Breanna Stewart has struggled with her 3-point efficiency this season, but has been a good shooter in the past — creates a variety of versatile looks.
Meesseman is also going to help the Liberty on the defensive end. She's been top 10 in the WNBA in blocks three times and averaged 1.4 steals per game during her most recent WNBA stint with the Sky in 2022.
And lest you think she might have faded some during her WNBA sabbatical, Meesseman led the entire Olympics in scoring last year and just led Belgium to the EuroBasket Women title, with 16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and two blocks in the final against Spain.
Meesseman won Finals MVP in 2019 with the Mystics while coming off the bench, so coming off the bench with the Liberty shouldn't be an issue for her.
As of now, the timeline for when Meesseman will join the team is unclear and depends on the approval of her visa, but at some point in the near future, the Liberty are going to get even better.
Can Stephanie Talbot help this team?
Meesseman isn't the only free agent that the Liberty added. The team also signed Stephanie Talbot, who joined the team after spending the early part of the season in Golden State.
Talbot is probably just bench depth at this point in her career. Once a very good outside shooter, her 3-point shot really fell off after she missed the 2023 season with a torn ACL, but she remains a good perimeter defender and has extensive experience working with Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, who should be able to utilize her effectively.
This isn't a game-changing signing like the Meesseman deal, but it does give New York an additional wing piece who can give the team solid minutes and allows the team to rest its primary wings a little more often. It's a low-risk, medium-reward deal for New York.