NY Liberty - Players


		Cheering for Children
		Contest Winners
		Athlete Photo Shoot
		Radio Advertisement
		Workout

To play at the professional level one needs to have great ability, work very hard to learn the game and have the opportunity to utilize those skills. Constant practice, playing high school and college ball and striving to be the best are the precursors to a pro career but even then many talented athletes do not make it.

AWhile the Liberty players are certainly in the limelight as professional athletes, they do not have time to rest on their laurels. During the season, on non-game days there are three-hour practice sessions, followed by rehab with the trainer, which often includes ice on sore areas. Following practice, there are often video sessions in which the team prepares for their next game.

Game days include a morning film session in the locker room to watch game tapes and a 10 AM or 11 AM shoot-around, once again at the Garden if the team is at home. Players have an early pre-game meal at about 3:00 and at 5 PM it's time to report for the game. At 6 PM players do pre-game shooting with assistant coaches and then do a 7 PM film session and scouting report review where players learn about the opposition from the video analysis work done by the assistant coaches. Then, shortly before the tip-off, is the pre-game shoot-around followed by game time. After the game, players shower, wind down, often do interviews with reporters and get a late dinner.

On off-days with no practice scheduled, some players do cardio-vascular and strength conditioning, especially those who don't see as much on-court time. Players nursing injuries work on rehab programs and others see the trainer for ice packs, heat treatments or stretching or use the whirlpool. Players need to use off-days to rest. They also make special public relations and community relations appearances for the team.

During the off-season months, some players stay in the United States while others go overseas where they play and train. Players who are in the U.S. need to work with weights and do cardio-vascular training in the mornings 5 to 6 days a week and play in 5 on 5 games in the evenings as much as possible. Some players go back to school to complete their degrees in the morning and need to work their training sessions into the afternoon.

Players who travel overseas generally have team practices in the mornings, relax during the afternoons and play games a few evenings a week.

While the WNBA season is short, the need to stay in peak physical conditioning requires a tremendous commitment. A player who makes it to the professional level knows that her career can be short, so she will want to work hard to stay quick, remain strong and keep up her game.