Last Updated on August 7, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
The New York Liberty 2002 relied on Vickie Johnson and Tari Phillips as its primary scoring threats, with Crystal Robinson adding consistent offensive production and all-around contributions. Teresa Weatherspoon remained the team’s floor leader, driving the offense through her playmaking and defensive activity. The statistics indicate a balanced, veteran roster that emphasized ball movement, reliable interior rebounding, and collective production instead of depending on a single high-volume scorer.
HeatingUp Impact Index: Regular Season Team Impact Spotlight
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG + BPG) | Impact Index | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tari Phillips | Starter/Star (1.1) | 31.5 | High (1.2) | 14.1 | 7.0 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 64.94 | Phillips served as New York’s interior force, combining post scoring, rebounding, and physical defense in a featured frontcourt role. Her ability to create second chances and defend the paint made her one of the Liberty’s most dependable players during the regular season. | WNBA All-Star (2003); All-WNBA Second Team (2003) |
| Crystal Robinson | Starter/Star (1.1) | 33.4 | High (1.2) | 11.8 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 50.16 | Robinson remained a versatile wing who balanced perimeter shooting with defensive responsibility. Her improved playmaking and willingness to handle difficult matchups gave New York another creator alongside its veteran backcourt. | WNBA All-Star (2003) |
| Vickie Johnson | Starter/Star (1.1) | 33.2 | High (1.2) | 11.6 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 49.90 | Johnson provided steady two-way production as a starting wing, using her strength to attack closeouts while spacing the floor with efficient outside shooting. Coaches valued her ability to guard multiple positions and maintain offensive flow. | WNBA All-Star (2003) |
| Tamika Whitmore | Starter/Star (1.1) | 30.5 | Medium (1.1) | 12.7 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 48.16 | Whitmore developed into an important scoring option, bringing athleticism and aggressive drives from the forward spot. Her defensive activity and rebounding helped New York play with more physicality against bigger lineups. | — |
| Teresa Weatherspoon | Starter/Star (1.1) | 29.8 | Medium (1.1) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 5.7 | 1.4 | 31.94 | Weatherspoon continued to control the game through leadership, ball pressure, and veteran decision-making rather than scoring volume. Her passing and defensive instincts remained central to how New York organized its offense. | WNBA All-Star (1999, 2000, 2002); All-WNBA First Team (1997, 1998); All-Defensive First Team (1997, 1998) |
| Becky Hammon | Key Contributor (1.05) | 20.6 | Medium (1.1) | 8.0 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 29.11 | Hammon emerged as a valuable scoring guard, providing bench creation and perimeter shooting while adjusting to a larger role. Her confidence attacking defenses and making plays with the ball became an important part of New York’s depth. | — |
| Sue Wicks | Key Contributor (1.05) | 14.3 | Low (1.0) | 2.2 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 15.33 | Wicks shifted into a limited reserve role but remained a defensive presence through rebounding, positioning, and shot blocking. Her experience helped stabilize the frontcourt when New York needed toughness inside. | WNBA All-Star (1999); WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (1999) |
| Korie Hlede | Bench (1.0) | 8.1 | Low (1.0) | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 7.80 | Hlede provided occasional guard depth, offering ball movement and perimeter support in short appearances. Her role was primarily as a rotation insurance option behind New York’s established perimeter players. | — |
| Camille Cooper | Bench (1.0) | 5.2 | Low (1.0) | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 4.80 | Cooper received limited minutes as a young frontcourt reserve, showing flashes of rebounding and interior activity while learning within a veteran-heavy rotation. | — |
| Bernadette Ngoyisa | Bench (1.0) | 1.7 | Low (1.0) | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 3.80 | Ngoyisa saw minimal regular-season action, functioning mainly as frontcourt depth while adjusting to the professional level. | — |
| Linda Frohlich | Bench (1.0) | 4.2 | Low (1.0) | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.80 | Frohlich played a small reserve role, receiving limited opportunities in a crowded rotation. | — |
| Totals | — | 256.6 | — | 76.7 | 27.7 | 16.2 | 13.9 | 348.89 | The New York Liberty’s regular-season rotation blended veteran leadership with interior strength, relying on Tari Phillips’ frontcourt presence, perimeter versatility from Robinson and Johnson, and Weatherspoon’s playmaking control. | — |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Playoff Team Impact Spotlight
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG + BPG) | Impact Index | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tari Phillips | Starter/Star (1.1) | 31.1 | High (1.2) | 14.4 | 5.9 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 61.25 | Phillips was the Liberty’s interior scoring presence, attacking the paint with strong footwork while providing physical rebounding and defense. During the postseason, her ability to finish through contact and battle inside gave New York a reliable half-court option. | WNBA All-Star (2003); All-WNBA Second Team (2003) |
| Tamika Whitmore | Starter/Star (1.1) | 33.9 | High (1.2) | 16.1 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 60.19 | Whitmore took on a featured scoring role, using her athleticism to pressure the rim and create offense from the forward position. Her efficient interior scoring made her one of New York’s most aggressive playoff weapons as defenses focused on limiting perimeter options. | — |
| Vickie Johnson | Starter/Star (1.1) | 30.5 | High (1.2) | 12.3 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 52.80 | Johnson provided the steady two-way wing play that kept New York balanced, combining perimeter shooting with secondary ball-handling duties. Her improved three-point efficiency helped stretch defenses while her defensive versatility remained important against elite playoff opponents. | WNBA All-Star (2003) |
| Teresa Weatherspoon | Starter/Star (1.1) | 30.1 | Medium (1.1) | 6.6 | 4.4 | 6.6 | 1.0 | 45.01 | Weatherspoon controlled the tempo as the team’s veteran floor leader, creating offense through passing, pressure defense, and decision-making. Even with limited scoring volume, her ability to organize possessions and make big defensive plays remained central to New York’s playoff identity. | WNBA All-Star (1999, 2000, 2002); All-WNBA First Team (1997, 1998); All-Defensive First Team (1997, 1998) |
| Crystal Robinson | Starter/Star (1.1) | 32.4 | High (1.2) | 8.4 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 38.28 | Robinson worked as a veteran perimeter stabilizer, spacing the floor while taking on difficult defensive assignments. Her playoff value came from versatility, as she could contribute without dominating touches and provided experience in pressure situations. | WNBA All-Star (2003) |
| Becky Hammon | Key Contributor (1.05) | 22.9 | Medium (1.1) | 9.9 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 33.73 | Hammon emerged as a dynamic scoring option off the bench, attacking gaps and knocking down perimeter shots with confidence. Her expanded postseason role showed growing trust in her ability to create offense against set defenses. | — |
| Sue Wicks | Key Contributor (1.05) | 12.0 | Low (1.0) | 2.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 10.50 | Wicks provided experienced frontcourt minutes, relying on positioning, toughness, and shot-blocking instincts rather than offensive usage. Her defensive awareness allowed her to remain useful in specialized playoff situations. | WNBA All-Star (1999); WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (1999) |
| Korie Hlede | Bench (1.0) | 6.0 | Low (1.0) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 8.00 | Hlede played limited reserve minutes, contributing occasional ball-handling and defensive energy. Her role was mainly to provide depth behind New York’s established perimeter rotation. | — |
| Bernadette Ngoyisa | Bench (1.0) | 3.3 | Low (1.0) | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.40 | Ngoyisa saw brief playoff opportunities as a young frontcourt reserve, providing limited scoring in a small sample while adjusting to the professional level. | — |
| Linda Frohlich | Bench (1.0) | 6.7 | Low (1.0) | 0.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 6.00 | Frohlich received limited postseason minutes and mainly served as additional frontcourt depth behind New York’s primary rotation players. | — |
| Camille Cooper | Bench (1.0) | 5.0 | Low (1.0) | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 4.80 | Cooper appeared in short stretches as a reserve option, contributing occasional activity around the basket but with limited opportunities to influence playoff games. | — |
| Totals | — | 211.9 | — | 75.8 | 30.1 | 17.5 | 8.4 | 390.23 | The New York Liberty’s playoff rotation leaned on veteran versatility, with Phillips and Whitmore carrying interior scoring responsibilities while Weatherspoon, Johnson, and Robinson provided experience across the perimeter. | WNBA Finals appearance |