Stefanie Dolson heading home to New York

The New York Liberty needed a center in free agency and they have reportedly acquired one in Stefanie Dolson, who made key plays down the stretch of the 2021 Finals-clinching game for the Chicago Sky and starred for Team USA’s 3x3 team en route to gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Dolson was born in Port Jervis, N.Y. and went to high school at Minisink Valley in Slate Hill, N.Y., which is about an hour and a half outside NYC. She is two-time WNBA All-Star who is a great inside scorer and can shoot the three. She gives New York a very good hypothetical starting lineup of Sabrina Ionescu (PG), Betnijah Laney (SG), Michaela Onyenwere (SF), Natasha Howard (PF) and her. No weak links there. You’ve got big stars in Laney and Howard and a player in Ionescu who arguably should have made the All-Star Game last year and has superstar potential. Then you’ve got the reigning Rookie of the Year in Onyenwere and Dolson, who is an upgrade over Kylee Shook when it comes to the starting center spot.

For two years at UConn, Dolson overlapped with Breanna Stewart, who has reportedly met with the Liberty. If Dolson is paid the $149,000 The Next projects her to make, the Liberty could keep Rebecca Allen and Asia Durr and still get Stewart at the supermax, but they would have to trade Sami Whitcomb, pay Allen slightly below her projection and have three players at the minimum.