Former Liberty star Michaela Onyenwere discusses double life as WNBA player and UCLA assistant

The Liberty’s former Rookie of the Year is having a bounce-back season and it solely took a profession pivot, a nationwide championship and some consistency to get there.

Michaela Onyenwere, a Mystics ahead, was drafted as the sixth general decide by New York in 2021 and went on to assert the award after averaging 8.6 factors throughout 32 video games, together with 29 begins.

However, her rookie momentum did not carry into the next season when she solely began one recreation and averaged half the quantity of factors.

The Liberty ended up letting her go and Onyenwere went on to bounce across the league till UCLA girls’s basketball head coach Cori Close referred to as her former player to supply an assistant coach place for the 2025-26 group.

“If you would have asked me a year ago if I would be coaching, I would say there’s absolutely no way,” Onyenwere advised The Post forward of Friday’s 86-83 Mystics win over the Liberty at Barclays Center. “It was just a great opportunity. I love UCLA down. I would pick it over and over again.”

At simply 26, Onyenwere introduced skilled data to the group and helped push the Bruins to their first nationwide championship. She then got here to Washington merely for a chance to contribute persistently, not like her different years within the league. It has seemingly made the distinction in reviving her recreation.

Going into Friday, the ahead was averaging a career-high 12.7 factors and she continued with a robust exhibiting in opposition to her former group, scoring 11 factors.

“I’m really grateful for my journey but it would be nice to have something consistent,” she stated. “I think that’s all, just the consistency of knowing what my coaches want from me, what my teammates expect from me, and just having confidence in it.”

Sabrina Ionescu scored 9 factors Friday in her third recreation in a row. The star guard is constant to work her recreation again up after lacking three weeks of motion as a consequence of again soreness.

“It’s tough because we don’t really practice,” Marine Johannes stated of her teammate after the loss. “So, it’s hard for her maybe to come back and play like every two games, and we understand that. It’s not easy after a month out. We trust her. We know it can take time sometimes but she’s still Sab. She’s a great player.”

Ionescu was a minus-7 for the Liberty together with committing 4 turnovers in opposition to three assists.

Heading into Friday’s recreation, coach Chris DeMarco stated he expects “ups and downs” as they ramp her as much as get her in a rhythm for the primary time this season.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (left knee administration) was out Friday after she acquired an injection in her surgically repaired left knee.

DeMarco needed to offer her “one more day” and hoped she would play on the upcoming West Coast street journey.