Marine Johannès is the secret weapon that the New York Liberty needs to have success this season. After being a bench player for most of her time in the WNBA, Johannès has established herself in the Liberty starting five. There are a few key qualities to the guard’s game that make her stand out.
Why Marine Johannès Is the New York Liberty’s Secret Weapon
3-Point Shooting
One notable aspect of Johannès’ game is that most of her shot attempts come from behind the arc. She is averaging 3.4 3-pointers made per game on 7.8 shot attempts. The French guard is the WNBA’s leader for 3-pointers made this season. Johannès has a very unique shooting technique, as she often shoots from an extreme angle, off one leg. Having a player with the ability to consistently shoot from long range is huge for the New York Liberty.
In Sabrina Ionescu’s absence, Johannès has been able to step up as the team leader in made threes and has been the offensive spark that they need. The mid-range shot has become the main form of scoring for the Liberty. They have struggled to score consistently in the paint and have a few scorers to shoot from three. Once Ionescu is back fully healthy, she and Johannès can be a superstar perimeter shooting duo that will be dangerous to face.
Playmaking Abilities
When she is not shooting the ball, Johannès makes highlight-reel passes. She tends to use a whip pass, similar to that of a soccer goalkeeper. She also uses cross-court passes, as she finds open shooters often. These types of passes contribute to her unique style of play. The chemistry that Johannès has built with her Liberty teammates has helped boost the team’s scoring.
The Liberty became the first WNBA team to average 100 points through the first four games of a season. Strong offensive performances from Johannès, Breanna Stewart, and rookie Pauline Astier helped with this accomplishment. Johannès averaged five assists per game in the Liberty’s first four contests.
Euroleague Experience
Before joining the WNBA, Johannès started playing overseas in European professional basketball leagues. The first team she joined was USO Mondeville at just 17 years old, winning the U17 women’s French League in 2011 and 2012 and the U17 French Cup in 2012. Her breakthrough season was in 2015-16 with Mondeville, in which she averaged 14.2 points and 4.4 assists in 34 minutes per game. Johannès won the French Cup with Bourges three years in a row from 2017 to 2019.
In the 2018-19 Euroleague season, the guard averaged 15.1 points and 4.7 assists per game. In between her first stint with the New York Liberty, Johannès played for the French club team Lyon ASVEL. Eventually in 2025, she ended up signing with the Turkish basketball team Galatasaray.
Throughout her career, the French star won bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In all three EuroBasket tournaments, she earned a silver medal with France. Playing overseas has improved Johannès game, as she has competed against some of the best players in the world. Her shooting percentages have steadily increased with each season.
Record-Breaking Statistics
Johannès is the first player in WNBA history to make five 3-pointers in four of the team’s first eight games of the season. Additionally, she set a franchise record for threes made in the first nine games of a season with 29, passing Ionescu’s mark of 28 in 2023. That same year, Ionescu set the single-season record of 3-pointers made with 128. At the pace that she is shooting and making threes, Johannès has the chance to hold that same record by season’s end.
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