Leonie Fiebich shows why she is ‘invaluable’ to Liberty even after little prep for season

In the Liberty locker room before Saturday’s win, Jonquel Jones was making light of her recent defensive assignments.

She drew the Sun’s Tina Charles in the Liberty’s preseason opener and was tasked with trying to help slow reigning league MVP A’ja Wilson in the team’s season opener.

Leonie Fiebich then chimed in from her stall, “Well, Chelsey Gray isn’t any different.”

Fiebich was less than a week removed from helping her WNBA offseason team, Valencia, win the Spanish league finals.

She arrived in Brooklyn on Thursday and had only one practice under her belt before the season opener.

Fiebich was starting to fall victim to her jet lag Saturday.

But after receiving her 2024 championship ring and watching the team’s banner rise into the Barclays Center rafters, Fiebich logged nearly 30 minutes of playing time as she reclaimed her spot in the Liberty’s starting lineup.

Fiebich didn’t have the most impressive offensive night — two points and one assist. Her energy and aggressiveness on defense — all while her internal clock was off — was quite impressive.

Fiebiech was one of the main players hounding Gray, who had 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Fiebich also had three steals and a blocked shot.

“I’d hate having someone like Leo guard me, too,” coach Sandy Brondello said Tuesday. “She’s so smart. She’s KYP [the acronym for Know Your Personnel]. She knows how to help, knows how exactly we want to play.”

Fiebich’s familiarity with the Liberty from last season is what made her reintegration with minimal prep mostly seamless this past weekend.

“All the things that I’ve seen from Leo last year, it’s kind of like the expectation now,” Jones said. “It is very impressive [what she did Saturday] — I will say that — but I also feel like Leo, we understand what the standard is and we hold her to that standard. And she delivers every time.”

After the Sparks drafted her in the second round in 2020, Fiebich, of Landsberg, Germany, continued to develop her game while playing overseas. She was traded twice — most recently to the Liberty in 2023 — before she even suited up for a WNBA team.

Fiebich made her WNBA debut last season. It was obvious early on that she was more than ready for the opportunity.

Her defensive versatility paired with her steady 3-point shot made Fiebich an X factor off the bench. But it became increasingly obvious that she was destined for a bigger role.

Lineups with Fiebich gave the Liberty a lot more defensive oomph and shooting compared to lineups that featured Courtney Vandersloot.

When the playoffs started, Brondello determined it was time for Fiebich to assume a regular starting job.

“What she brings us is so invaluable,” Brondello said. “We could have moved her in there early, but I wanted to make it at the right time. And she finished the game. So I always say it’s not who starts, it’s who finishes, and that’s the most important.”

Fiebich earned All-Rookie honors and finished second in the Sixth Player of the Year voting last season.

In the postseason, she averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. She also shot 52.1 percent from deep and averaged 2.2 3-pointers per game.

Fiebich was the last player to arrive at Liberty training camp this month as she finished her overseas commitments. But even in her absence, there was no question she’d be a starter this season.

“Sometimes it’s still a bit surreal for me that I’m starting in a championship team,” Fiebich said.

Fiebich’s whirlwind of a week caught up to her on Sunday. She had a fever and was feeling under the weather.

“It was a lot,” Fiebich admits. “Ending a season, traveling, playing 30 minutes, so my body definitely took a break.”

Rebekah Gardner is pretty familiar with Fiebich’s game as the two squared off against one another while playing in Spain. She said Fiebich’s size and length made her a tough player to guard.

“She’s been great,” Gardner said. “And I’m sure she’s gonna be even better than last year.”