3 reasons why rookie Leonie Fiebich is the X-factor for New York Liberty

The New York Liberty have remained undefeated through three games in the 2024 WNBA playoffs and a major factor has been rookie German forward, Leonie Fiebich. In her first season, Fiebich has quickly established herself as a key playoff performer. Fiebich was selected by the LA Sparks in the second round of the 2020 WNBA draft but didn’t join the league until this year,

During the regular season, she did a little bit of everything, averaging 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in just under 21 minutes per game. However, her playoff production surged, with her scoring rising to an impressive 15.0 points per game, along with 1.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.9 steals in the first round.

Here are three reasons why Leonie Fiebich has emerged as the Liberty's X-factor in this year’s playoffs.

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3 reasons why rookie Leonie Fiebich is the X-factor for New York Liberty

#1. She is relentless on defense

Leonie Fiebich’s defensive prowess is evident both on tape and in the numbers. According to WNBA advanced stats, the Liberty have an 88.1 defensive rating with her on the floor, the best in the playoffs. For comparison, the league’s top playoff defensive rating overall belongs to the Connecticut Sun at 94.0.

When asked about her defense, Fiebich said (per Lucas Kaplan):

"Honestly, I'm such a perfectionist on defense that I didn't really feel like it was great defense. I'm gonna watch it back and maybe make a different statement."

Standing at 6-foot-4, Fiebich has the versatility to guard players from point guards to centers.

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#2. She is efficient on offense

While her defense shines, Leonie Fiebich's offensive numbers are just as remarkable, boasting an offensive rating of 130.3.

Her true shooting percentage in the playoffs so far is a staggering 101.4, with shooting splits of 75.0% from the field, 72.7% from beyond the arc and 100% from the free-throw line.

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#3. She is highly versatile and playoff-ready

Fiebich has only recently started receiving consistent playing time in the postseason, and Liberty coach Sandy Brondello has clearly found a key contributor, as the team’s net rating with Fiebich on the floor is an impressive 42.3.

Even Aces coach Becky Hammon praised Fiebich, stating:

"I'm a huge fan of Fiebich. She's got length, she has incredible feel for guarding distance... she's deadly from the 3-point line.... we can't let Fiebich go off and have like 20."

The Liberty currently lead the playoffs with a net rating of 15.1, the most steals per game at 8.7, and the second-best team field goal percentage at 47.5%.

Fiebich posted team-best plus-minus ratings of plus-25 in Game 1 and plus-18 in Game 2 of the Liberty's first-round series against the Atlanta Dream. In the Liberty's 87-77 win over the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, she led the game with a plus-19 rating.

With this in mind, she is certainly one to watch out for going forward.