NEW YORK, NY – May 21, 2015 – New York Liberty guard Epiphanny Prince will miss the start of the 2015 WNBA season in order to fulfill her obligation to compete in the Eurobasket Women 2015 Tournament, it was announced today by Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Kristin Bernert.
“When we acquired Epiphanny, we understood that her international obligations may interrupt our season at times, similar to other WNBA players, but the move was made for the long term success of the Liberty and we are excited she will be an important part of our future,” said Bernert.
“While I am sad that I will miss the start of the New York Liberty season, part of being a professional women’s basketball player is fulfilling international obligations,” said Prince. “I am glad I was able to be at camp for and am excited to be here in New York, and play in front of my family and friends. I will be following the team through the start of the season, and can’t wait to return, and step out onto the court wearing a Liberty uniform for the first time.”
The Eurobasket Women 2015 Tournament will be held June 11-28 in Hungary and Romania. Prince will depart on May 22, to play for Russia, and report back to the Liberty once competition at Eurobasket 2015 has concluded; she will compete in the WNBA for the remainder of the season. A Queens, N.Y., native, Prince holds dual citizenship and has played internationally for Dynamo Kursk of the Russian Premier League since 2012.
The Liberty acquired Prince from the Chicago Sky in exchange for guard Cappie Pondexter on February 16. Prince, a two-time WNBA All-Star, is coming off a season in which she averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game for the Sky. She is averaging 14.1 points and 3.1 assists per game for her career, averaging at least 13.6 ppg in each of the last four seasons with a career-best 18.1 ppg in 2012.
New York opens regular season action against Atlanta on Friday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. The home opener, presented by Kia, will feature a free giveaway to the first 5,000 fans. The team will host 17 home games during the 2015 regular season.