Rookie guard Pauline Astier had been on Chris DeMarco’s radar since he took the Liberty job.
He watched about 20 of her games with Turkish club USK Praha, believing she’d complement the style he wanted the Liberty to adopt.
He liked Astier’s decisiveness and floor vision. Her ability to quickly get downhill, to catch and shoot. Her growing confidence every time she stepped foot on the court.
Then, he got to know Astier when she arrived in Brooklyn.
The way she’s excited for her teammates and shares the ball. She defends and does all the little things a coach could ask for. When she’s on the bench, she’s cheering for every basket or stop.
“You love to coach a player like that who’s just an awesome teammate and makes people around her better,” DeMarco said Monday.
For years, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb has been searching for an ideal running mate for Sabrina Ionescu.
It turns out the answer may have been hidden in a bustling town in southwest France this entire time.
There have been different backcourt combinations over the years, each showing flashes of promise but also having limitations.
Marine Johannes brought creativity, flair and firepower on offense. Courtney Vandersloot supplied championship experience, elite playmaking and stability. Natasha Cloud added defensive intensity and toughness. Crystal Dangerfield had a stint at one point, too.
None of those pairings were seamless.
After last year’s first-round playoff exit, Kolb said he planned to evaluate Ionescu’s best backcourt partner.
Ionescu’s recent renaissance alongside Astier might be the solution.
It took some time for Ionescu and Astier to develop their chemistry after Ionescu missed the majority of the first five weeks of the season with injuries. But the budding connection between the two is growing every time they share the floor.
“Her ability to be really unselfish and, honestly, read the game really well,” Ionescu said. “She understands when she needs to shoot, when she needs to drive, she’s a really good passer, her ability to get downhill and create for our offense, put pressure on the defense is elite. She’s just really quick, her crafty getting to the basket, you have to respect all parts of her game, so her IQ is really high, she understands what her role is, how she can continue to impact both sides of the ball, offensively, defensively, so some of those things you can’t really teach.”
Astier is a key ingredient in DeMarco’s offensive formula, allowing Ionescu to relocate off the ball and attack defenses already in motion.
“Pauline has the perfect mix of being aggressive and then also understanding when we have to get into our players and our actions and stuff like that,” Jonquel Jones said. “I think she just does a really good job of playing off of all of us and I think her energy, her ability to be able to pick people up full court. … There is no big drop off. Defensively, she’s really good. Offensively, she’s really good. And so she really fits with us seamlessly.”
When Satou Sabally clears concussion protocol, DeMarco will no doubt face a difficult lineup decision.
On paper, the obvious move would be returning to the expected starting lineup, featuring Sabally, and sliding Astier back to the bench. She’ll handle it like a pro because that’s the type of teammate and person Astier is.
But basketball isn’t always played on paper, and the current starting unit has synergy.
The Liberty’s best five-player lineup (minimum 45 minutes played) is Astier, Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Breanna Stewart and Jones.
But don’t expect DeMarco to make a starting lineup decision any sooner than he has to.
“What I’ve learned this year is, it’s day to day,” he said. “There’s no point in thinking about it until it comes up. There’s too much happening and people been in and out. … We’ll have a discussion, for sure, but really happy with the way the starting lineup is going right now, and whether Satou starts or not, she’s been phenomenal all year in her role.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
