Anneli Maley Joins Liberty on Developmental Contract
anneli maley is headed to New York on a developmental contract, giving the Liberty another frontcourt option after her strong season with the Perth Lynx. The move comes as the Liberty work through the early part of the 2026 WNBA season with a 3-2 record.
Maley’s Perth production
Maley, 27, arrived after a 2025 WNBL season that put her numbers in the spotlight. In 27 games with the Perth Lynx, she averaged 15.5 points, 14.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 40.8% from the field, 32.8% from beyond the arc and 81.8% from the free-throw line.
That line stands out because it is the clearest reason New York added her now. The Liberty have been sorting out depth early in the season, and Maley’s rebounding and two-way production in Australia give them a player whose recent workload was far heavier than what she saw in her brief WNBA stints.
Phoenix and Chicago stops
Earlier this season, Maley spent a short stretch with the Phoenix Mercury and appeared in two games, averaging one rebound in three minutes per game. She also played part of the 2022 WNBA season with the Chicago Sky, where she appeared in four games and averaged two points and 1.8 rebounds in 11 minutes per game.
Her shooting with Chicago was more efficient than the raw totals suggest. In those four appearances, she hit 50% from the field and 66.7% from 3-point range, numbers that add another layer to a profile built more on versatility than volume.
Liberty roster depth
Maley’s résumé is heavier overseas, and that is where her strongest recent case came from. She won WNBL MVP honors in the 2022 season with the Bendigo Spirit, then turned in the kind of 2025 run that kept her on the radar for another WNBA look.
The Liberty did not need a headline-grabbing overhaul. They needed another body who has produced in a major league setting, and Maley fits that description. New York enters Sunday against the Dallas Wings at 3:30 p.m. ET, with the game set to air on NBC and Peacock after Thursday night’s 87-70 loss to the Golden State Valkyries.
