When Stefanie Dolson made her visit to the New York Liberty, the organization pulled out all the stops. That included flashing her name and image on the Barclays Center video board as she toured the arena.
It wasn’t what ultimately made the 2021 WNBA champion choose the Liberty and her hometown, but it didn’t hurt their case either.
“It was an amazing trip. They did such a good job of just making me feel special and wanted and appreciated,” Dolson said during an introductory press conference on Thursday. “I think for me what sealed the deal for me though was probably just the team. The players, looking at the rosters, feeling like I can really fit in and contribute to this team. And play the role that I’ve always wanted to play of being that leader and being that vet, and just doing the thing that I’m good at.
“It was everything combined, but I think the thing that just put it over was talking to Betnijah (Laney) and hearing how I would fit into playing for them.”
Dolson will be welcomed veteran voice in the Liberty locker room, which will have a young feel to it and can benefit from the experience the center will bring. Dolson helped lead the Chicago Sky last season to the franchise’s first WNBA title.
It was during Chicago’s championship series against the Phoenix Mercury that new Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello got a front-row view of what Dolson can bring to a team.
“Stef really hurt us down the stretch. Maybe we would have went to a Game 5 if Stef would have stayed on the bench to be quite honest,” joked Bronndello, who coached the Mercury last season. “Look at her skill set, I just knew she was a great fit. You have an experienced post player who I think gets better and better come into a team and kind of lead. And play really valuable minutes for us in a really big role.
“It’s her screening, it’s her IQ, it’s her passing ability, her scoring. She can score inside and out and that’s what we need to be a winning basketball team.”
The new journey with the Liberty will be as much of a new adventure as it will be a homecoming of sorts.
Dolson grew up in Port Jarvis, N.Y. and played college basketball at UConn before she was drafted by the Washington Mystics in the 2014 WNBA Draft. She spent three seasons with the Mystics before spending another five years in Chicago.
Now Dolson will get a chance to play nearby in Brooklyn.
“I heard from family and a lot of hometown friends. I have so many people hitting me up on Instagram,” Dolson said about the reaction of her signing. “Just people from my hometown and from high school that are so excited because a lot of them stay in our hometown. To get that reaction and get that excitement to hear from them is exciting for me. It makes me happy to go home and be able to play in front of my family and friends, because ultimately what could you want more than that really.”
While Dolson’s signing became official on Thursday, it had been reported on Sunday that the Liberty and Dolson had come to terms on a contract. Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb also joked that it had been the worst kept secret in free agency that Dolson would fit well what the organization was trying to do.
