Jamaican International upbeat despite New York Liberty snub
Published:Wednesday | June 7, 2023 | 1:26 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
JAMAICA INTERNATIONAL player Morgan Green is counting her blessings and is still optimistic about what lies ahead despite not being able to secure a spot on the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) New York Liberty.
The former Chabot College standout, who led them to their first state championship back in 2015, believes being part of the Liberty’s training camp could provide the foundation for other WNBA opportunities.
“I was extremely happy, there’s no other way to put it. I was ecstatic as I’ve been working extremely hard for much of my basketball career. Just being able to have that opportunity, which is a building block in my foundation. I will continue to build off this, which hopefully leads to a very fruitful and successful career in the WNBA in the future,” said Green.
Listed as 5’ 9”, Green previously had a stint in Hungary playing for the E.ON ELTE BEAC Budapest where she averaged 17 points, 5.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 35.3 per cent from beyond the arc through 20 games. Green revealed that her time among the group of girls was time well spent.
“The lessons were in abundance, so I was trying to soak everything up like a sponge. I’m a professional, so it’s really just understanding that when you reach a certain level that the margin becomes slimmer and those nuances that you’re able to have can separate you from certain players,” she said.
The 26-year-old Green, who plays at the guard position, said that rubbing shoulders with Courtney Vandersloot, the team’s starting point guard, was an important learning moment for her development as a player.
“Just being around Courtney Vandersloot, who is considered their floor general, and see her leadership and commanding presence was huge. Her leadership qualities are something that I can add on to mine. It’s one of the hardest leagues to get into, but once there and see how fast the pace moves, it’s something that you have to be prepared from day one, even though you don’t know what they’ll throw at you,” said Green.
As for her next move, Green believes that staying a true professional at her craft could reap rewards sooner rather than later.
“I don’t think I would have been offered that opportunity without that level of hard work and discipline that they share. We can only go up, of course, so I’m preparing for my next move which will be announced soon enough,” she disclosed.