Liberty Load Up for Title Defense With Emma Meesseman 

The New York Liberty got richer over the All-Star weekend—and not just because their starting backcourt won $120,000 from the three-point contest and skills challenge.

Two-time All-Star Emma Meesseman has committed to the Liberty, Front Office Sports reporter Annie Costabile confirmed Monday. ESPN first reported the news. Meesseman, the 2019 Finals MVP, has not played in the WNBA since 2022, her lone season with the Chicago Sky.

During her WNBA absence, the 32-year-old continued to play professionally in Europe while representing her home country of Belgium. Last month, she led Belgium to its second consecutive gold at the 2025 EuroBasket Women. She averaged 23.3 points during the 2024 Paris Olympics, leading all scorers in the tournament. Belgium fell a win short of a medal after a four-point semifinal loss to Australia.

The addition of Meesseman—widely regarded as one of the most coveted WNBA free agents in the market since she departed the league—is a jolt to New York’s chances of repeating as WNBA champions. The Liberty have the second-best record in the WNBA at 15–6, and between Meesseman, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart, they will have four of the last seven Finals MVPs in their frontcourt rotation.

Meeseeman also knows how to excel alongside fellow MVPs and All-Stars in the frontcourt. She played alongside WNBA legend Candace Parker and 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper during her last season in the league, and all three were 2022 All-Stars. Meesseman also won her 2019 Finals MVP alongside two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne for the Washington Mystics.

The Liberty have yet to make the signing official, and the Belgian national still needs to secure a visa before joining the team. Meesseman was not yet on the Liberty’s official roster as of 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, a few hours ahead of the team’s first game back from the All-Star break against the Indiana Fever.

Meesseman reportedly also considered joining the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury. Minnesota has the best record in the league at 20–4 and fell just short of defeating the Liberty in last year’s Finals. The Mercury are just a half-game back of New York in the standings, though they added DeWanna Bonner earlier this month after she was cut by the Indiana Fever.

While it’s unclear how much Meesseman’s contract will be, salary may have been a factor in her decision. The maximum prorated salary starting Tuesday is $97,000, according to The Next, and New York has more than $100,000 in salary-cap space available. The Lynx and Mercury don’t have the available space to take in a player on the prorated max deal.