Anneli Maley thought her time with the Liberty was over.
For 10 minutes, she stared at her phone almost in disbelief at the lengthy voice memo she had just received from Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb.
For some reason, she tuned out the first 45 seconds of the message.
The only part that stuck was the end, when Kolb mentioned “we’re getting another [developmental player].”
“I was like, ‘I’ve been fired,’” she recalled on Wednesday.
Eventually, she listened to the message again and realized it was quite the opposite.
With Satou Sabally officially ruled out for the season with a head injury, the Liberty had an open roster spot and chose to convert Maley’s developmental contract into a full-season deal Sept. 3.
“I didn’t understand at all at first,” Maley said, speaking to reporters for the first time since getting a new deal. “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.”
Maley’s first full-season WNBA contract, signed two days after she turned 28, is a testament to her determination and relentless pursuit of her goal.
Maley played only two years of college basketball. She was never drafted into the WNBA.
She got her first taste of the WNBA in 2022 with the Chicago Sky, who brought her back as a temporary hardship player after training camp. She had been waived or released seven times.
Maley made an interesting case for the Liberty’s final roster spot at this year’s training camp. Ultimately, New York went another direction.
After a brief stint with the Phoenix Mercury, the Liberty brought Maley back as a developmental player.
She had been working closely with director of basketball strategy Parker Lovett. She put in countless hours behind the scenes training both solo and with the practice squad. The job of a developmental player can often be overlooked and underappreciated.
But Jonquel Jones said Maley’s positive mindset was refreshing.
“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 has always prided herself on her defense and rebounding. She believes her biggest growth this season has been on the offensive end.
With Maley’s promotion, the Liberty filled their open developmental spot with former Ole Miss wing Madison Scott.
Scott reached out to Maley about what to expect from the opportunity.
“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.”
