Elizabeth Balogun has another WNBA door open.
The New York Liberty have added the Nigeria international on a developmental player contract, giving the D’Tigress star another opportunity to push for a place in one of women’s basketball’s most competitive environments.
For Balogun, getting back inside a WNBA setup matters. Staying there will matter even more.
The move follows an earlier 2026 opportunity with expansion side Toronto Tempo, where Balogun earned a training-camp contract before being waived ahead of the regular season. That could have ended her WNBA push for the year.
Instead, New York has offered another route back in.
D’Tigress form gives her something to build on
Balogun arrives with recent international basketball behind her. She featured for Nigeria during the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign, continuing a senior D’Tigress career that has already taken her to major international tournaments.
That experience matters because New York are not simply taking a chance on an unknown player. Balogun has competed at elite international level, worked inside WNBA training environments and already experienced how narrow the margins can be when fighting for a roster place.
Now she gets another chance to make that experience count.
Toronto was the first test
Toronto Tempo brought Balogun into camp earlier this year as part of the franchise’s inaugural roster build. She appeared in preseason before being released as Toronto shaped its regular-season squad.
That setback did not end the pathway. Balogun returned to international basketball with Nigeria and now enters another WNBA environment with New York.
That sequence gives this move its edge. This is not a first audition. It is a second opening.
And second openings often come with less patience.
Another Nigerian footprint in the WNBA
The move also carries significance beyond Balogun alone. D’Tigress have established themselves as one of Africa’s strongest women’s basketball teams, and every Nigerian player who breaks into a major professional league extends that visibility. Balogun now has an opportunity to add another Nigerian presence to the WNBA conversation.
But the next stage should not be exaggerated.
A developmental contract does not guarantee major minutes, a permanent rotation role or long-term security. Those things still have to be earned.
What Balogun has secured is another chance. After Toronto, after being waived, and after returning to Nigeria duty, New York has opened the door again.
Now the pressure shifts back to her. She has the opportunity. She has the international experience. The next question is whether she can make herself too valuable to leave out.
Cranse Sports
News For Fans Who Read The Game
