00:00The New York Liberty started their 2026 WNBA season without their star point guard Sabrina
00:05Neskew, and in theory, being without their top ball handler should have been a problem.
00:09Instead, the Liberty actually have found something else, and that something else is a rookie
00:13who doesn't look like a rookie.
00:28Four games into the 2026 WNBA season, the New York Liberty are 3-1, and one of the biggest
00:34reasons why has been rookie point guard Pauline Astier.
00:37With Sabrina Neskew out of the lineup, Astier hasn't just filled minutes, she's helped elevate
00:41the entire offense.
00:42To help break it all down, I spoke with the co-founder of the 9450 and writer for the
00:47Local W, Kevin Lewis.
00:48So Kevin, when you watch Pauline Astier through these first four games, what has stood out
00:53to you the most about her impact on this Liberty squad?
00:57Through Pauline Astier's first four games, what stood out to me the most is how composed
01:03she is and how impactful she's been while stepping into meaningful minutes immediately for this
01:10championship-level team.
01:11She's averaging close to 17 points per game, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals,
01:18and the numbers only reinforce what the eye test already shows, and that's the poise, the
01:26pace, the control, and confidence.
01:28And what's more impressive to me is that she doesn't look overwhelmed by the speed or the
01:34physicality of the WNBA.
01:36She looks comfortable, she's organizing the offense, she's getting teammates involved,
01:42and she's making high-level reads in real time, especially with newly implemented coach
01:48Chris DeMarco's system.
01:50So I'll give you an example.
01:52Against Washington, like we saw her deliver those 18 points, seven assists, five rebounds,
01:57two steals, and two steals in a high-pressure environment.
02:01And it followed up with a 24-point performance in Portland, even though that was a two-point
02:06loss.
02:07And honestly, when you study her international resume, the transition makes sense.
02:13And according to the scouting profile that I have on her, and shout out to Cerebro Sports
02:18for providing this, she's one of the most easily projectable point guards at the WNBA
02:25level.
02:25And it's because of the size, it's because of the advanced playmaking metrics, and the professional
02:31experience overseas.
02:33So with that, at 5'11", she brings that positional versatility.
02:38She brings that vision and the ability to consistently post for elite floor general skills.
02:47And the overseas professional level kind of translated that easily in how she's operating
02:54in this Liberty offense as of late.
02:57The first thing that jumps out with Astier's play is the offensive efficiency.
03:01The rookie point guard is shooting over 62% from the field and over 45% from downtown.
03:07Her true shooting percentage through four games is over 70%.
03:10Now, those aren't normal rookie numbers.
03:13Those are numbers from a player who looks comfortable running a championship-level offense.
03:17And what makes this even more impressive is the context.
03:21The Liberty's offense has been humming with an offensive rating of 119.4 through the first
03:27four games of the season.
03:28And the numbers that they are putting up on the board are historically good.
03:31New York has been doing all of this without Sabrina Inescu.
03:35And Astier's pace, decision-making, and confidence have been a huge part of why the offense hasn't
03:41missed a beat.
03:42So my next question here is how has Astier been able to fit so seamlessly into this Liberty
03:49offense this early in her WNBA career?
03:52So Pauline Astier, she fits so seamlessly because her DNA already aligns with what New York wants
04:00in playmaking ability, right?
04:02So the Liberty thrived on spacing, ball movement, quick decision-making, and unselfish guard play.
04:09And Astier has naturally checked those boxes for the New York Liberty early.
04:15So coming into the WNBA, like I said, she's already battle-tested professionally.
04:20This isn't just a regular rookie, you know, learning how to run professional sets for the
04:28first time.
04:29She's played meaningful EuroLeague basketball minutes where precision, spacing, and pace
04:35has been emphasized heavily.
04:37And the report specifically notes that she's become a key contributor in those EuroLeague
04:45competitions while making major offensive leaps in efficiency and assertiveness.
04:51So you can already see that confidence in these first four games, you know, averaging nearly
04:57five assists per game already while also scoring efficiently.
05:01And she's been keeping those turnovers down.
05:04I know the five turnovers against Portland was kind of a highlight, but more importantly,
05:10she understands how to play with her stars instead of trying to, I guess, for lack of better
05:16terms, overpowering the offense herself to try to figure it out.
05:20But she has been such a natural fit alongside Brianna Stewart, Jonquo Jones, and especially Marine
05:27Johannes, and she's been making the connective plays.
05:32And we've talked about this earlier where she's able to control pace in the paint and
05:40her downhill ability has been really, really great for this Liberty team.
05:46This isn't just about scoring.
05:48It's about feel.
05:49Astia plays with pace.
05:50She's keeping the ball moving and she doesn't force the game.
05:53Right now, the rookie, she's playing like someone who understands how to connect the team.
05:58And historically, this start to the season for the French point guard absolutely matters.
06:03So although it's only been the first four games of the season, this doesn't feel like
06:07just a hot stretch.
06:08It looks like a rookie making WNBA history and potentially prime to make more history in
06:14the W.
06:14Okay, Kev.
06:15So when Sabrina Inescu returns, do the Liberty have a good problem on their hands with Astier
06:22in terms of who's going to play and it's just another talented player to add to the rotation?
06:26Is this a good problem with the way Astier has played thus far when Saab returns to the lineup?
06:31Listen, when Saab returns, the Liberty absolutely have a good problem on their hands.
06:36And championship teams love to have these kind of problems.
06:40So Astier has been known and has shown that she's capable to do more than just do the whole
06:49emergency fill-in.
06:50She's demonstrated that she can stabilize the units.
06:53She can initiate offense.
06:55She can maintain rhythm offensively when New York sometimes staggers those lineups.
07:02And I think the biggest thing that Astier's game doesn't require is that high usage, right?
07:08Because it just impacts winning.
07:10So when she was overseas, she's consistently showed that elite playmaking efficiency and
07:17relatively controlled usage.
07:20So that means she really knows how to contribute without having to monopolize possessions.
07:26And that's incredible value for the New York Liberty when you're sharing the floor with
07:32your other big three, like a Stewie, like a JJ, and like a Saab.
07:37So imagine what that will look like when Sabrina returns.
07:41And also imagine what that looks like when players like Satu Sabali and Leonie Phoebus returns,
07:48because now suddenly New York can actually deploy multiple playmakers on the floor.
07:55You can reduce your wear and tear on your other stars like JJ and Stewie.
07:59And then you can also maintain, you know, the offensive structure, you know, for those 40 minutes.
08:06So her presence is going to give the Liberty so much flexibility in rotations.
08:12And from a strategic standpoint, being that this team is chasing another championship,
08:17you add another high level IQ guard that can also defend.
08:23She has sneaky length and she will be able to organize and play within the structure.
08:28And because she's such a downhill type guard, it'll open up Sabrina's three-point ability
08:34when she's playing off ball.
08:36So with the return of Saab on the horizon, this is where things get really interesting.
08:41Because now the Liberty may have more options than they expected.
08:44Astier doesn't just help them survive without Sabrina.
08:47She may actually help them even more when Sabrina returns.
08:50Now, all of this leads to the big question that is on the mind of Liberty fans everywhere.
08:54Is Pauline Astier a legitimate rookie of the year candidate?
08:58Well, four games into the season, she's got numbers that she's put up that's hard to say no.
09:02And will she have the opportunity to put up more guarding numbers as she moves through the 2026 season?
09:09So, Kevin, you talked about how this is a rookie who's got the international experience.
09:13But do you believe that Pauline Astier has a real chance to stay in the rookie of the year conversation
09:19all season long?
09:20Because right now she's played to be in that conversation.
09:23So does she have a legitimate chance to stay in that conversation for the rest of the season?
09:27Yes, I absolutely believe that Pauline Astier has a legitimate chance to stay in that rookie of the year conversation
09:34all season.
09:35And the biggest reason is that her production is already translating to winning basketball.
09:40And it's on one of the league's marquee teams, right?
09:45Because she's averaging nearly 16 points or nearly 17 points and close to five assists early.
09:51She's handling real responsibility, even with a team that doesn't have all of their pieces.
09:59So you go beyond the raw numbers.
10:01She's producing at a historic level from a rookie standpoint already.
10:05She's already joined an elite company with Paige Beckers and Candace Parker with an all-around game performance that she
10:13delivered against Washington.
10:14So you have to look out for things like that.
10:17And then with the scouting profile that I mentioned earlier, she's also projected one of the greater guards that this
10:26season has and will be able to see with her size, her scoring ability, and those advanced playmaking metrics.
10:35And she's also growing defensively from a consistent standpoint.
10:39Those are certain traits that you just, you know, can't ignore, you know, from a rookie of the year conversation
10:47standpoint.
10:47And because she has that previous experience, you know, from an international standpoint, it's been translated so perfectly, you know,
10:57to this team as well as for the league.
11:00Now, staying in the rookie of the year conversation, it will have to come down to consistency, opportunity, and maintaining
11:07a significant role once the Liberty is a little bit healthy.
11:13But if she continues to impact the games at the way that she's been impacting, I think that she could
11:22be a true contender for that rookie of the year campaign.
11:26And Pauline Astier is absolutely going to remain as part of this conversation throughout the season.
11:35When GM Jonathan Kolb and the Liberty signed the French point guard this offseason, they knew Pauline Astier was talented,
11:41but I'm not quite sure everyone in the organization expected her to be this ready this fast.
11:46And if this is only a beginning, then the Liberty may have found something bigger than just a temporary replacement.
11:52The Liberty entered this season with aspirations of trying to win the second title in franchise history, but they also
11:58were trying to hold things together without Sabrina Unescu to start the season.
12:01Now, four games later, Pauline Astier may have changed the entire conversation.
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