"New York is a Big Deal!" | Rising Star Pauline Astier’s First Liberty Scrum

Rising French star Pauline Astier addresses the media at New York Liberty training camp to discuss her transition to the WNBA. Astier breaks down her decision to sign with New York over other interested teams, her excitement to explore Times Square with Marine Johannes, and the "crazy" full-circle moment of being coached by former teammate Kristen Mann. During the scrum, Pauline discusses the mental challenge of learning Chris DeMarco’s offensive system, her desire to impact the game through transition play and defense, and how having fellow French players on the roster has eased her adjustment to New York. Chapter Marker 00:00 Choosing New York: Picking the Liberty's "winning spirit" over other WNBA offers 00:26 First impressions of NYC: A tourist day in Times Square with Marine Johannes 00:54 System Overload: Feeling more comfortable after a heavy first few days of info 01:18 WNBA Ambitions: Deciding to make the jump during the European season 01:53 The French Connection: How Johannes and "both Marines" help with the transition 02:30 Playing Fast: Loving the transition-heavy principles of the new offense 03:00 Rookie Impact: Focusing on defense, driving to the basket, and playmaking 03:22 On Chris DeMarco: First impressions of his "friendly" coaching style 04:12 Market Appeal: Why New York felt like a "big deal" during recruitment 04:35 Full Circle: Playing with Kristen Mann in France to now being coached by her 05:25 Language Barriers: Kristen Mann’s "shy" but functional French skills --- 🏀 SUPPORT THE LOCAL W We're an independent outlet covering women's sports from the sidelines. Here's how you can help us keep going: ✅ SUBSCRIBE & hit 🔔 so you never miss an interview:    / @thelocalw_   💬 DROP A COMMENT — it helps the algorithm and we read every one 🛍️ SHOP through our links below — you get great gear, we keep the cameras rolling (Affiliate links — no extra cost to you) 🔥 WNBA Store — Official League Gear: 👉 https://thelocalw.com/go/wnba-fan-gear 🏀 Wilson × Caitlin Clark Collection: 👉 https://thelocalw.com/go/wilson-cc ⚽ NWSL Fan Gear: 👉 https://thelocalw.com/go/nwsl-gear 🏒 PWHL & Hockey Gear: 👉 https://thelocalw.com/go/fanatics-pwhl 🎽 Fanatics — All Sports: 👉 https://thelocalw.com/go/fanatics 👕 HOMAGE — Vintage & Retro WNBA Tees: 👉 https://thelocalw.com/go/homage-wnba ⚽ BreakingT — Culture & Moment Shirts: 👉 https://thelocalw.com/go/breakingt 🎮 Funko — Sports Collectibles: 👉 https://thelocalw.com/go/funko --- 🔎 STAY CONNECTED Don't miss a beat. Follow us for breaking news and behind-the-scenes content: 🐤 X / Twitter: https://x.com/TheLocalW 📸 Instagram:   / thelocalw   🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thelocalw.bs... 🌐 Website: https://thelocalw.com 📺 Nets Republic:    / @netsrepublic   --- 📺 ABOUT THE LOCAL W The Local W is your home for in-depth, on-the-ground coverage of women's professional sports — WNBA, NWSL, PWHL, USWNT, and USL (Brooklyn FC). From the Barclays Center to the world stage, we bring you closer to the athletes and stories that deserve the spotlight. Pauline Astier, New York Liberty, NY Liberty, WNBA, WNBA Media Scrum, Marine Johannes, Kristen Mann, Chris DeMarco, French Basketball, WNBA Training Camp, Women's Basketball, Brooklyn Sports, The Local W.