The New York Liberty have converted forward Anneli Maley’s developmental contract into a full-season deal, the team confirmed Sept. 3, after star Satou Sabally was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a head injury.
Maley, who turned 28 two days before signing, said she initially believed she was being let go when she received a lengthy voice memo from Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb.
“I was like, ‘I’ve been fired,'” Maley recalled Wednesday, describing how she tuned out the first 45 seconds of the message and only caught Kolb mentioning the team was “getting another [developmental player].”
After listening again, she realized the news was the opposite of what she feared.
“I didn’t understand at all at first,” Maley said. “It was like a grieving process, and then I was like, ‘Oh no, wait, I’ve been promoted!’ So it was awesome. I feel very, very blessed and lucky. I’ve been working so hard.”
The contract marks Maley’s first full-season WNBA deal after an unconventional path to the league. She played only two years of college basketball, was never drafted, and has been waived or released seven times. Her first WNBA opportunity came in 2022 with the Chicago Sky, who signed her as a temporary hardship player after training camp.
Maley made a bid for the Liberty’s final roster spot during this year’s training camp but did not make the team. After a brief stint with the Phoenix Mercury, she returned to New York as a developmental player, working closely with director of basketball strategy Parker Lovett through solo and practice-squad training sessions.
Teammate Jonquel Jones credited Maley’s attitude during that stretch.
“She’s one of those people that can keep things light when sometimes things can feel a little bit heavy,” Jones said. “You can’t really talk about how important that is when you’re going through the course of a season.”
Maley said she has long relied on her defense and rebounding, but believes her biggest improvement this season has come on offense.
With Maley’s promotion, the Liberty filled the vacated developmental spot with former Ole Miss wing Madison Scott, who reached out to Maley for advice on what to expect.
“I don’t have to lie, I can say: ‘You know what, they really pour into you. They take care of you. They value you as a human, and you will get better,'” Maley said. “It’s hard, but it’s rewarding.”
