Liberty take Kane with final pick

New York selects French center in WNBA Draft

April 15, 2025 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Adja Kane, a 6-foot-3 center from France, was taken by the Liberty with the 38th and final pick in Monday night's WNBA Draft in Manhattan. Photo courtesy of New York Liberty

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Adja Kane went from the last pick in the WNBA Draft Monday night to the best women’s professional basketball team in the world.

Her first appearance in Downtown Brooklyn, however, may be a few years away.

The reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty picked the 6-foot-3 French center with the final pick of the third round (38th overall) at the league’s annual selection show Hudson Yards in Manhattan.

Kane, who just turned 20 last month, has competed internationally in FIBA as a member of Team France’s Under-20, Under-18, Under-17 and Under-16 programs.

She is currently playing professionally for Landerneau Bretagne Basket in France’s LFB, where she will continue to hone her craft while the Liberty chase their second consecutive title.

Kane is averaging 4.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 assists through 22 games in her native country.

She joins Liseaux, France native Marine Johannes in an organization that features talented players from all over the world.

“As an organization, we pride ourselves on embracing the global nature of the game and are proactive in assembling a deep group of international talent,” said Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb.

Coming off the first championship in franchise history, Kolb went right to work in pursuing Title II this year.

Though proven veterans like Courtney Vandersloot and Kayla Thornton left Brooklyn, Kolb traded a pair of first-rounders (sixth and seventh overall) to get All-Star guard Natasha Cloud from Phoenix.

The Liberty made a series of offseason moves, including acquiring guard Natasha Cloud from Phoenix, in pursuit of their second straight WNBA title. AP Photo by Darron Cummings

New York also dealt a second-round selection for Chicago’s Rebekah Gardner, shoring up a roster that already features All-Stars Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu.

Kolb re-signed Johannes after a one-year hiatus from the team to play in Europe, and has the likes of Leonie Fiebich, Nyara Sabally, Kennedy Burke, and Isabelle Harrison ready to contribute to the best roster in the sport.

The offseason moves left the franchise with one pick Monday, and they chose Kane.

Not for this year’s run at a title but as a future prospect in development.

“We had a unique opportunity tonight to select Adja Kane, a talented young player from a strong program in France, who will continue to develop overseas for the next few years with our support from afar,” Kolb added.

The Liberty will raise their championship banner to the rafters at Barclays Center on May 17, when they host the Las Vegas Aces.

New York will open the preseason here on May 9 vs. Connecticut before traveling to Eugene, Oregon three days later to take on the Toyota Antelopes of the Japanese women’s basketball league at the University of Oregon, Ionescu’s alma mater.

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The Nets wrapped up the regular season with Sunday’s 113-105 loss to the East River rival New York Knicks in front of 17,926 paying customers on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.

Tyrese Martin and Trendon Watford scored 20 points apiece for Brooklyn (26-56), which suffered its most losses since dropping 62 contests in 2016-17.

The Nets, who have dropped 10 straight meetings with the Knicks, will now focus on what first-year coach Jordi Fernández described as a “very important summer.”

“We gotta keep moving on and keep working,” said Fernández after his team yielded 31 points off turnovers. “I was very happy for the guys, obviously. Wanted to win that game, but couldn’t make it happen.”

Tyrese Martin put up 20 points, but the Nets dropped their 10th straight meeting with the Knicks at Barclays Center Sunday in the season finale for both teams. AP Photo by Heather Khalifa

GIVE ME LIBERTY: The Liberty announced earlier this month that they have entered into a partnership with LOLA, a pioneer in organic feminine care and reproductive wellness, its first professional sports team partner. According to a team-issued release, the Liberty and LOLA will work together on community programming to encourage and uplift young women and girls to participate in sports. Complimentary LOLA products will now be available in restrooms for all events at Barclays Center – the first time the Brooklyn arena will provide feminine care products free to guests. “We are thrilled to partner with LOLA, an organization that shares our commitment to empowering the local community and inspiring the next generation of athletes,” said Catherine Carlson, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships at BSE Global, parent company of the New York Liberty, Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. “The New York Liberty and Barclays Center are proud to support and uplift girls in sports by removing barriers to participation, helping them stay active, strong, and confident. This partnership also allows us to champion sustainability by providing eco-friendly products, ensuring that our efforts to empower today’s youth also benefit the planet for tomorrow.”