By Andrew McClure

Dave Saffran/MSG Photos
 
The New York Liberty hope that the heart-rending 75-73 loss to the eventual WNBA champion Detroit Shock in the third and deciding game of the best-of three Eastern Conference Finals is just another step toward finally shedding the bridesmaid title they’ve carried nearly every year since the inception of the WNBA. With another year of experience and a few key additions, New York expects to be among those in the title hunt come September. 
 
The Liberty will be led by Shameka Christon. The veteran forward, in her sixth year from Arkansas, had a breakout season in 2008. Christon averaged a career-high 15.7 points per game, shooting slightly over 40 percent from three-point land and 82.8 percent from the free-throw line. Christon believes that some positives can come from last year’s bitter ending. “Being down by 20 points in the final game, cutting it to two, and having a chance to win, says a lot about what we’re capable of doing,” Christon said. “We just have to put it all together and play 40 minutes every night. Everybody’s goal is to take it a step further this year.”
 
Flamboyant fourth-year center Janel McCarville also took her game to new heights in 2008. McCarville averaged 13.7 points and 5.4 boards per game. The 6-foot-2 fan favorite, who is sporting a hairdo similar to that of Chris “Birdman” Andersen of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, shot 53.5 percent from the field, third best among all players.
 
6-foot-4 power forward Cathrine Kraayeveld, 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, rounds out a formidable frontcourt for the Liberty. Forward Tiffany Jackson, who put up solid numbers coming off the bench during each of her first two seasons, and 6-foot-5 center Jessica Davenport will both get plenty of minutes.
 
New York added size, strength and athleticism when it selected 6-foot-4 Kia Vaughn of Rutgers with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Vaughn, who is not shy when it comes to mixing it up in the paint, will add a dimension that the undersized Liberty sorely need. 
 
While Vaughn considers McCarville a mentor on the floor, learning the professional game under the tutelage of assistant coach Anne Donovan who joined head coach Pat Coyle’s staff this spring, should make the learning curve a bit less steep. Donovan, a two-time Olympic gold medalist as a player (she also coached the USA to the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Games) and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, believes the sky is the limit for Vaughn. “Kia is coming along great,” Donovan said. “In college, she worked hard on her body and on her game. First hand, I’m seeing how quickly she learns and how hard she works. Experience is going to be Kia’s best friend. We’re expecting her to contribute in her rookie year.” 
 
Donovan, who coached the Seattle Storm to the 2004 WNBA title, believes improving on the defensive end of the floor is essential. She’s pleased with what she has seen thus far. “These guys just want to get better,” Donovan said. “I’m not coming here changing a lot. I think defense is just more of a focus. Being undersized in the post is no excuse. We still have to play position first. That’s the mindset.”
 
In the backcourt, the duo of Loree Moore, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and Essence Carson, 6.6 points per contest, have a season together under their belts, and should form one of the stronger tandems in the league. Guards Lisa Willis, Sidney Spencer and Abby Waner, a rookie out of Duke, will all contribute off the bench for the Liberty.
 
This is year three of Coyle’s four-year plan. (The team has improved markedly over her first two years.) While Detroit, which has won titles in three of the past six seasons, is clearly the favorite to repeat in the East, the young Liberty appear to have their best shot at a title since advancing to the WNBA Finals in 2002.  Expect New York to see the Shock in the playoffs for a third consecutive season.