The Libs Abroad Weekly Roundup is back with a new addition! On Monday, the New York Liberty acquired 2021 WNBA MVP, Jonquel Jones, from the Connecticut Sun and veteran forward, Kayla Thornton, from the Dallas Wings in a blockbuster three-team deal. Thornton is currently playing overseas with the Southside Flyers in Australia’s WNBL, and wasted no time giving us a great Libs Abroad head-to-head matchup when she took on Jocelyn Willoughby’s Sydney Flames. You can rewatch the condensed game here.
In Spar Gran Canaria’s 75-63 win over Jairis, Sika Koné provided an all-time performance when she recorded 24 points and 23 rebounds on a stellar 81.8% (9-11) from the field over a full 40 minutes of action–earning her the LF Endesa Week 17 MVP; her third honor of the season.
Koné’s double-double showcase marked her 13th of the season and 17th consecutive double figure scoring outing in as many games.
Jocelyn Willoughby was lights-out on Wednesday when she totaled 18 points, shot a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point territory, and dished five assists in 24 minutes against Southside.
Following her trade to the Liberty, Kayla Thornton led the Southside Flyers to a hard-fought 96-91 victory against Sydney after posting 16 points and eight rebounds on a combined 58.3% (7-12) from the field and 66.7% (2-3) from three. Welcome to New York, Kayla!
Highlights: Three-Pointer (1) | Three-Pointer (2)
In her top performance of the week, Marine Fauthoux nearly eclipsed a triple-double when she tallied 12 points, eight assists, and seven boards–four of which were on the offensive glass–across 31 minutes against Bretagne in LFB.
Marine Johannès drew a tough matchup over the weekend when she took on fellow top-seeded French club, BLMA, who accounts for three of Lyon’s four losses in LFB and EuroCup (12-4 combined record). In 24 minutes, MJ totaled 11 points, including three triples, along with a pair of assists and steals.
Highlights: Behind the Back Pass
In a pair of LF Endesa and EuroLeague contests, Michaela Onyenwere added six points on 50% (3-6) shooting from the field, followed by a five-point, three-rebound effort on Wednesday.
In a similar two-game split, Raquel Carrera helped Valencia sweep their weekly slate. In her top outing of the week, Carrera controlled the boards with a total of seven rebounds alongside three points, three steals, and two assists.
| Date | Player | Opponent | |
| Sat, January 21 | Raquel Carrera | Ensino | — |
| Sat, January 21 | Michaela Onyenwere vs. Sika Koné | — | — |
| Sat, January 21 | Sami Whitcomb vs. Jocelyn Willoughby | — | 1:30 am ET |
| Sat, January 21 | Kayla Thornton | Canberra | 3:30 am ET |
| Sun, January 22 | Marine Johannès vs. Marine Fauthoux | — | 9:15 am ET |
| Wed, January 25 | Marine Fauthoux | Schio | 1:30 pm ET |
| Wed, January 25 | Raquel Carrera | Bourges | 2:00 pm ET |
| Wed, January 25 | Sami Whitcomb | Bendigo | — |
| Thu, January 26 | Michaela Onyenwere | Kangoeroes | 2:30 pm ET |
For more information on Libs Abroad Presented by Withings, including upcoming games, up-to-date statistics/standings, weekly recaps, and monthly player features, please visit nyliberty.com throughout the 2022-23 WNBA off-season.