New York Liberty leads WNBA with 7 players headed to Germany for FIBA World Cup
NEW YORK -- As the WNBA goes on its FIBA World Cup break, no team has more players headed to Germany then the New York Liberty.
Like the city they play in, the Liberty are an international smorgasbord with players from France, Nigeria, China, Germany, Australia, Spain, the Bahamas and the U.S. New York will have seven of them playing in the tournament that begins Sept. 4 in Berlin. The Liberty would have an eighth, but Satou Sabally is still recovering from a concussion so can't play for Germany.
"It truly is like the United Nations here," Liberty star Breanna Stewart said of her teammates' backgrounds.
Rebecca Allen, the longest tenured member of the team, said it wasn't like that when she first joined the organization in 2015.
"I was the only foreigner on the team back then. Everyone made me feel welcome, but now it's different with so many countries represented here," she said.
Rookie Pauline Astier, who will play for France at the World Cup with Liberty teammate Marine Johannes, said her teammates were so welcoming that it made the adjustment to playing in a foreign country much easier.
It goes to show how international the league has become. The Liberty could have a very fun potluck dinner if everyone brought something from their native country. It's an idea that Allen thought would be fun to do when they get back from the FIBA break.
Han Xu will represent China, Elizabeth Balogun will play for Nigeria, Leonie Fiebich for Germany and Raquel Carrera for Spain.
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