New York Liberty depth star Marine Johannes kept the trash talk clean — or at least “faire le ménage” — when she saw some old friends in Seattle on Sunday.
The weekend-closing interconference clash between the Liberty and Seattle Storm served as a de facto homecoming dance for France’s silver-medal winning squad from last summer’s Olympics in Paris. Seattle, partly behind the talents of fellow Frenchwomen Dominique Malonga and Gabby Williams, took an 89-79 decision despite Johannes hitting each of her first seven tries en route to 17 points in her first start of the season.
One of Johannes’ successful sinks came in front of the Seattle bench, where Malonga and Williams were resting. Despite dealing with a lasting Liberty deficit, Johannes relayed hints of the repartee, which provided levity on an otherwise contemplative aftermath for New York.
“I just heard they said something, and it was nice from them,” Johannes said with a smirk. “I was smiling because they were nice and not saying s***.”
Johannes was showing off for her French friends on Sunday, becoming the first New Yorker to hit her first seven tries from the field in a game since Betnijah Laney-Hamilton did so in July 2023. Despite the loss, it was an undeniable step in the right direction for Johannes, who has lacked her usual wizardry from deep while trying to raise her interior and defensive games.
Seattle cracked down on Johannes in the latter stages, as she was forced into four uncomfortable attempts while the Storm kept the lead in the fourth quarter. New Yorkers found Johannes’ Sunday progress to be a positive development in the face of defeat.
“Marine has an important role for us, but it was great for her to get out there and play like Marine, and put her in a lot of the actions,” head coach Sandy Brondello said. “That’s something we want to grow out of, because she demands so much attention there. So that was great to see.”
It was a busy day for Les Bleus in Seattle, as the Storm (9-5) captured their third win in a row and their sixth in the last seven: Williams overcame struggles from the field to earn a 12-point, 10-assist double-double and forced four of the Liberty’s 21 turnovers while Malonga came off the bench for six points and four rebounds in just over seven minutes.
The second overall pick of the most recent WNBA Draft picked up four fouls in that span but it was enough to earn praise from Liberty star Breanna Stewart, who began her professional career as a multi-pronged star in the Pacific Northwest before coming home to the Empire State.
“I think that the way that we continue to have rookies come to this league every year and grow their game, build their game, is great,” Stewart said, concurring with Johannes’ prediction that Malonga was destined for a “great future.” “Malonga, she’s raw, but I’m excited to see kind of where her career continues to go and build. These moments are going to be great experiences for her going forward.”
