A Fresh Start for Marine Fortwo with WNBA’s New Agreement

Marine Fortwo is navigating a new landscape in the WNBA, thanks to the recent collective bargaining agreement.

The French guard, who was picked up by the Liberty in 2021, had a bit of a surprise when she saw on TV during a friend’s draft party that she was the 29th overall choice.

She spent the last five years playing overseas but was eager for a new challenge. Choosing to take a less traditional route, she signed one of two developmental contracts with the Liberty.

Under the previous agreement, which ran until 2026, teams mostly preferred to draft young players and keep them abroad for development.

Now, each team can use two developmental slots, allowing players to engage in training camps and practices.

These slots can be utilized for up to 12 games in a season without affecting the main 12-player roster or salary cap.

“The game here in the WNBA is so different,” Fortwo said on Monday. “I came to learn. I’ve always admired this organization and felt the timing was right for me to join. I believe I’m ready to contribute.”

Currently, she’s in recovery from an ACL injury.

Fortwo mentioned she is nearly finished with rehab but isn’t rushing back just yet.

This means fans haven’t had the chance to see her in action with the reshaped Liberty lineup.

What’s particularly intriguing is the open second developmental spot.

The core 12-player roster for the Liberty seems largely finalized, yet Australian guard Aneri Mailey is emerging as a key contender for that last spot.

Having made a solid impression in training camp, Mailey scored 13 points, snagged seven rebounds, dished out three assists, though she did have five turnovers in the Liberty’s preseason loss to the Fever.

This kind of performance has caught the eye of many, both internationally and domestically.

However, in order to secure Mailey as the final developmental player, the Liberty would need to put her on waivers, which could lead to her being picked up by another team before they could finalize her contract—a situation that’s not ideal for coach Chris DeMarco.

“With the league expanding from 13 to 15 teams, there’s a wealth of talent out there,” he noted. “Not everyone gets a shot at the WNBA, so these developmental spots are crucial. I really hope we can utilize them to keep our talented players in-house,” he added.

DeMarco acknowledged there’s still much to iron out, especially regarding how the Liberty will use these developmental slots.

As Fortwo mentioned, she hasn’t yet discussed her role during her rehab with DeMarco.

“But when we’re on the court, he knows what he wants,” she remarked. “The team is performing well.”

This new structure allows the Liberty to retain young talent without compromising on their immediate goals.

A year ago, they had to release Jaylin Sherrod to accommodate Emma Measman.

General Manager Jonathan Kolb expressed a desire to establish a development agreement in Dreamland, aiming to create a “pipeline” for future talent in Brooklyn.

“We want our players to develop together and be ready to move up to the main roster when called upon,” Kolb explained. “This is uncharted territory for us. We’ll see how everything unfolds, but I’m genuinely excited about our direction.”