Anneli Maley initially believed her run with the New York Liberty had come to an end.
For about 10 minutes, she sat staring at her phone, trying to process a lengthy voice memo from Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb.
In the moment, she barely absorbed the opening 45 seconds of what he said.
What stayed with her was a line near the end of the message: “We’re getting another [developmental player].”
“I was like, ‘I’ve been fired,’” Maley recalled Wednesday.
But when she replayed the voicemail, the Australian forward discovered she had interpreted the news completely wrong.
After Satou Sabally was officially sidelined for the remainder of the season because of a head injury, the Liberty had an available roster spot. On Sept. 3, the team used it to elevate Maley from her developmental contract to a full-season WNBA deal.
“At first, I didn’t understand at all,” Maley said in her first comments to reporters since signing the new contract. “It was like a grieving process, and then I was like, ‘Oh no, wait, I’ve been promoted!’
“So it was awesome. I feel very, very blessed and lucky. I’ve been working so hard.”
The deal, Maley’s first full-season WNBA contract, arrived two days after her 28th birthday and marked a major reward for the persistence, hard work and determination behind her long pursuit of a lasting place in the league.
Maley played only two years of college basketball. She was never drafted into the WNBA.
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She got her first taste of the WNBA in 2022 with the Chicago Sky, who brought her back as a temporary hardship player after training camp. She had been waived or released seven times.
Maley made an interesting case for the Liberty’s final roster spot at this year’s training camp. Ultimately, New York went another direction.
After a brief stint with the Phoenix Mercury, the Liberty brought Maley back as a developmental player.
She had been working closely with director of basketball strategy Parker Lovett. She put in countless hours behind the scenes training both solo and with the practice squad. The job of a developmental player can often be overlooked and underappreciated.
But Jonquel Jones said Maley’s positive mindset was refreshing.
“She’s one of those people that can keep things light when sometimes things can feel a little bit heavy,” Jones said. “You can’t really talk about how important that is when you’re going through the course of a season.”
Maley has always prided herself on her defense and rebounding. She believes her biggest growth this season has been on the offensive end.
With Maley’s promotion, the Liberty filled their open developmental spot with former Ole Miss wing Madison Scott.
Scott reached out to Maley about what to expect from the opportunity.
“I don’t have to lie, I can say: ‘You know what, they really pour into you. They take care of you. They value you as a human, and you will get better,’” Maley said. “It’s hard, but it’s rewarding.”