Shut down the rumor mills.
Marine Johannès isn’t expected to go anywhere after all.
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tRY IT NOWThe Liberty fully intend to re-sign Johannès and plan to have the fan favorite back in New York this summer, a league source told The Post on Friday.
Johannès, 31, received a reserved qualifying offer from the Liberty earlier this week, which opened the pathway for her return.
She had been rumored to be a trade candidate, though the league source shut that down point blank.
Johannès was the only Liberty player who appeared in all 44 regular-season games, averaging 6.4 points while shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from deep.
She fell out of the rotation in the playoffs, logging just 10 minutes in three games in the first round against the Mercury.
Johannès has the potential, though, to be a difference-maker for the Liberty.
Johannès is the only player who has been with New York since 2019, though she missed two seasons for the Olympics and another because of the pandemic. She has become beloved by fans for her one-legged 3-pointers and electric playmaking.
New York Liberty guard Marine Johannès (23) brings up the ball during a game against the Phoenix Mercury. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
She’s a career 37.7 percent shooter from downtown. Her adaptability and skill set allow her to complement a variety of different lineups.
Johannès gives the Liberty guard depth, though New York is still in the market for a true backup point guard. The Liberty’s 2026 roster is starting to take shape, though Leonie Fiebich technically remains the only player under contract as of Friday afternoon. New York plans to re-sign unrestricted free agents Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones.
The Liberty designated Ionescu a core player — the WNBA’s equivalent to the NFL’s franchise tag.
New York also has exclusive negotiating rights to two-way wing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who missed all of last season while rehabbing from knee surgery, and veteran Rebekah Gardner after she received a reserved qualifying offer earlier this week.
Spanish forward/center Raquel Carrera is expected to sign a training-camp contract for this season, according to sources. Chinese center Han Xu has expressed interest in returning to the WNBA this season and French point guard Marine Fauthoux is hopeful to make her WNBA debut in 2026.
New York has met with dozens of free agents since the official negotiating period opened Wednesday, including Lynx forward Alanna Smith and Valkyries forward Monique Billings.
Players can’t officially sign contracts until Saturday.
Training camp opens April 19, and the season is scheduled to start May 8.
While the official negotiating period opened Wednesday, WNBA teams can’t start signing players until Saturday.
