Pauline Astier just touched down in Brooklyn and the guard is already making an impact for the Liberty in training camp.
“I’m really excited. Today was her second day, and she probably stood out the most out of anybody,” Sabrina Ionescu said Friday.
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The 5-10 undrafted rookie arrived in New York after a Euroleague season with USK Praha. The 24-year-old averaged 10.2 points and 5.6 assists with the Czech club.
Now she’s a member of the Liberty, a franchise entering a new era under head coach Chris DeMarco and looking to get back to the WNBA Finals for the third time in four seasons.
Astier said her decision to give the WNBA a shot came after seeing other European players opt to play in the states. The French guard spoke with other WNBA teams during free agency, but eventually picked New York, citing the team’s winning environment.
“When New York came I was like ‘Oh this is really a big deal and something really big for me,’” said Astier, who joins fellow French Liberty hoopers Marine Johannes and Marine Fauthoux in Brooklyn. Astier also spent time playing overseas with Kristen Mann, the Liberty’s current player development coach.
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Astier, however, said Friday she didn’t speak with Johannes about potentially joining the Liberty in free agency.
While Astier noted she wants to make her impact on defense, she will bring offensive skills to the team as well. The guard has a knack of driving past the point of attack for her own shot or a drive-and-kick opportunity for her teammates.
“I think it’s something I really like to do. So, yeah, try to create,” said Astier, who Ionescu described as an “elite passer.”
Those abilities would make Astier a key contributor in DeMarco’s offense, which is designed to be more structured and feature plenty of floor spacing — areas the team struggled with last season under Sandy Brondello.
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So far, she’s been clicking with new teammates while learning DeMarco’s system.
“So I would say her ability to adapt. Obviously, her IQ has to be really high for her to get it [DeMarco’s offense] this quickly,” Ionescu said. “Some of us have been doing this for a week and a half and still don’t know where to go. And she came in two days, and it’s like directing, understands where to go, calling the offense.
“So I’m really excited. Sky’s the limit for her.”
