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As the sun begins to rise over the Liberty and the 2017 WNBA season, the New York Liberty are missing one key bench piece: guard Shoni Schimmel.
Last August, Schimmel suffered a concussion that sidelined her for the remainder of the season, halfway through her first season with the New York Liberty. And so far, through the first few days of training camp, Schimmel has been a no-show, and head coach Bill Laimbeer has no reason as to why.
According to a report from the Sun Herald, Laimbeer had the following to say regarding her absence: “You'd have to call and ask her," he said. "I'm not going to speak for her. She's on the roster, she's under contract. It's her choice.”
Schimmel, the number eight pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft and former All-Star Game MVP, has struggled throughout her pro career with conditioning, a factor that led the Atlanta Dream to trade her after the 2015 season.
As far as when she is expected to be back, Laimbeer doesn’t know when she will decide to report. However, the Liberty do have an important decision to make: either cut her or suspend her for the season.
“There comes a date in training camp when a team has an ability to suspend a player for the entire season and retain their rights,” Laimbeer said.
Considering that the Liberty are already missing many key players due to overseas commitments, Schimmel’s absence can’t come at a worse time for New York.