The 2025 WNBA Draft happened Monday night, and the reigning champs got the No. 38 overall pick. The Liberty chose France native Adja Kane, a 20-year-old 6’3 center. The Liberty initially had the No. 7 overall pick but traded it with the Connecticut Suns for veteran player Natasha Cloud.
Adja’s Stat Sheet
Adja is currently playing for Landerneau Bretagne Basket in France’s LFB. This season, she is averaging 4.9 points. 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. She is most comfortable from midrange and the post. Adja previously represented France in the 2024 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket. She averaged 5.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1 assist, helping lead France to victory over 15 other countries. In 2023, Adja participated in the FIBA U18 Women’s Eurobasket. She averaged 6.9 points per game, 5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.
Contributions to the Liberty
The New York Liberty staff has decided to keep Adja overseas for a few more seasons to develop her play further. As of now, she tends to thrive more on the defensive end. In a game against Angers in her past season, she grabbed 9 rebounds. The Liberty seems to have chosen Adja for that reason. Offensively, she is not showing much promise for her future in the WNBA, but if she hones in on her defensive skills overseas, she can make a real impact.
Landerneau Bretagne Basket is a strong team, and it’s the best place for Adja to be at the moment. Liberty General manager Jonathan Kolb said in an interview: “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…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.”
Thinking Long Term
Adja is a powerful center that will come in handy for the Liberty, but not for a few years. Their current roster is stacked with tough forwards and centers for the time being, including Leonie Fiebich, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones. In the past WNBA season, the trio averaged 41.3 points per game.
What was a season high for Adja Kane, Jonquel Jones’ averages in one game (9 rebounds). Both Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones have 8 years of pro ball experience. This gives Adja Kane the chance to step in when the veterans are ready to give some playing time over to the rookie. Leonie only has one year of WNBA play under her belt, so she will hopefully be there growing with Adja as the seasons go by.
If Adja is moved to the WNBA before the previous talent leaves, it will allow her to learn more from Breanna and Jonquel on the offensive side. Since Adja’s current average is under 5 points per game, she can get some important reps in by practicing with two of the best in the league. Time will tell when the Liberty is ready to get Adja to the United States, but when they do, she will be a powerhouse for New York.
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