There are changes coming for the Liberty this offseason.
But general manager Jonathan Kolb doesn’t expect his star trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart — all unrestricted free agents heading into 2026 — to depart this winter.
“I have the utmost confidence that they want to be back with us,” Kolb said Thursday during a press conference at Barclays Center.
Kolb’s comments on his stars came after he explained why the team had moved on from head coach Sandy Brondello.
If the All-Star trio returns under a new head coach it would their fourth season playing together.
But a lot could happen between now and the upcoming free-agent period.
First, GMs are unsure if they’ll begin negotiating with players after the New Year as per usual as the WNBA and players association are still at odds over a new collective bargaining agreement.
A lockout is still looming as time winds down for the two sides to reach an agreement this fall.
The WNBA could also feature a 2026 offseason with nearly every player being an unrestricted free agent as teams are prepared to offer bigger contracts than ever thanks to escalating national television deals.
The player movement could be historic.
Liberty players, though, made their intentions clear of returning.
“Well, I’m coming back,” Stewart said after the first-round Game 3 loss against the Phoenix Mercury.
The two-time WNBA MVP then locked eyes with Ionescu seated near her at the postgame podium. Ionescu nodded in agreement and expressed her interest to stay in New York.
Kolb added that the team is interested in bringing back Emma Meesseman, who is also heading into the winter as an unrestricted free agent.
The GM noted Meesseman is a player the Liberty “needed more time with,” after the Liberty acquired her this summer.
The 2019 WNBA Finals MVP played in her first game back in the league on Aug. 3 after three years of no WNBA action.
Her Liberty debut was just a month before the start of the postseason.
“The way Emma operates is she doesn’t make decisions, which I respect, she doesn’t make decisions before necessary. So I’m not sure what Emma’s plans are, and transparently and truthfully, I don’t believe that Emma knows what Emma’s plans are,” Kolb said. “In terms of our interest level, initially, is yes, but ultimately, that needs to fit with whomever the head coaches and their plans.”
