Paris Kea will play for the New York Liberty in her second WNBA season.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Paris To New York: Tar Heel Alum Headed For WNBA Bubble With Liberty
August 11, 2020 | Women's Basketball
Paris is now part of New York.
After spending the start of the WNBA season at home in Greensboro, N.C., former Tar Heel Paris Kea is headed for Bradenton, Fla., to join the New York Liberty. Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb announced Kea's signing on Saturday.
"I'm just super excited," Kea said Sunday. "I think this is a good opportunity for me."
Kea was playing professionally in Russia before COVID-19 brought a halt to the season. She returned home in mid-March and was thrilled to spend some time with her family. But at the same time, she was working out and playing as much as she could, intending to be in training camp with the Indiana Fever, which picked her 25th overall (third round) in the 2019 WNBA Draft and where she spent her rookie season, appearing in 11 games. The Fever waived her in late April.
"That's always tough," Kea said. "But I kept working out, staying in shape. Then I got a call from my agent asking, 'Are you interested and are you in shape?'"
Kea's answer: "I'm ready."
That said, she knows she has some catching up to do. "Playing in the WNBA at that level of competition, you can't replicate that at home," she said. "I've been shooting and working on ball-handling, staying in shape, but it's going to be a different speed when I hit the court."
She'll complete the league's quarantine protocol before heading into the WNBA bubble at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. She can't wait to get started.
"It's very difficult to make a team," Kea said. "There are a lot of great players who aren't paying in the league right now, so I'm just grateful for the opportunity. Hopefully I can make the best of it and make a name for myself. I'm still very young and I still have a lot to learn. That's my approach – just to keep learning , keep improving my game. This is a different team with different players – I just need to make that adjustment and see how I can contribute."
After spending the start of the WNBA season at home in Greensboro, N.C., former Tar Heel Paris Kea is headed for Bradenton, Fla., to join the New York Liberty. Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb announced Kea's signing on Saturday.
"I'm just super excited," Kea said Sunday. "I think this is a good opportunity for me."
Liberty Sign Guard Paris Kea.
For more information, visit https://t.co/0wk4D1OluJ. pic.twitter.com/0YtFXWAaSg— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 8, 2020
Kea was playing professionally in Russia before COVID-19 brought a halt to the season. She returned home in mid-March and was thrilled to spend some time with her family. But at the same time, she was working out and playing as much as she could, intending to be in training camp with the Indiana Fever, which picked her 25th overall (third round) in the 2019 WNBA Draft and where she spent her rookie season, appearing in 11 games. The Fever waived her in late April.
"That's always tough," Kea said. "But I kept working out, staying in shape. Then I got a call from my agent asking, 'Are you interested and are you in shape?'"
Kea's answer: "I'm ready."
That said, she knows she has some catching up to do. "Playing in the WNBA at that level of competition, you can't replicate that at home," she said. "I've been shooting and working on ball-handling, staying in shape, but it's going to be a different speed when I hit the court."
She'll complete the league's quarantine protocol before heading into the WNBA bubble at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. She can't wait to get started.
"It's very difficult to make a team," Kea said. "There are a lot of great players who aren't paying in the league right now, so I'm just grateful for the opportunity. Hopefully I can make the best of it and make a name for myself. I'm still very young and I still have a lot to learn. That's my approach – just to keep learning , keep improving my game. This is a different team with different players – I just need to make that adjustment and see how I can contribute."
Paris to NYC! 🛫🗽
Congrats @pariskea22! Can't wait to watch you play in the #wubble 🏀@nyliberty | #ProHeels pic.twitter.com/xiVqy3bO2r
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) August 8, 2020
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