The New York Liberty barely missed out on the postseason in 2014, going 15-19 and finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference.  The early end to the season marked only the sixth time in franchise history that the Liberty didn’t make the playoffs and the second postseason absence in as many years.

That reality ultimately led the Liberty to face the fact of the matter: They had to shakeup their roster in order to gain ground in the conference. Trades and free agent signings were an option, but without a first-round pick, New York seemed limited in its options.

However, a couple of draft night trades changed all of that in a matter of moments.

Here’s what to watch for in New York this season:

Two first-round rookies

New York traded into the first round not once but twice and selected point guard Brittany Boyd and center Kiah Stokes. Both players spoke excitedly  on draft night about the opportunity to play for the Liberty. For Stokes, it means not having to move too far from her college home for the past four years – Connecticut.

Stokes has played well in her first two preseason games with the Liberty. She’s rebounded well (11 RPG) and even added to the offense (10 PPG), something she wasn’t asked to do very often in college. Head coach Bill Laimbeer believes she can bring more than just sound defensive acumen to the Liberty and hopes to tap into her offensive potential.

Boyd, who played her college ball at California, says she’s excited to begin her career with the team she grew up watching. Boyd models her game after former Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter, and she’s hoping to bring that tenacity and grit to the Liberty during her first season.

Liberty have Epiphanny

Pondexter won’t be featured in the Liberty backcourt in 2015 after the team traded her to Chicago in exchange for Epiphanny Prince. Her tenacity defensively (1.9 SPG) should fit in well with a Liberty team that boasted the fourth-best defensive rating (99.1) in the league in 2014.

But where Prince may end up being the most appreciated is on offense. The Liberty posted a league-worst offensive rating (95) in 2014 and are surely hoping the additions made this offseason will help in that department. Prince has a knack for getting to the free throw line and she was the second-leading scorer (15 PPG) for a Sky team that fell just short in the WNBA Finals.

New York connection

As the Liberty look to move forward as a franchise and get back to the playoffs, they’ll have  the chance to do so by playing a little city ball. Three players on the roster are from the New York City area – Tina Charles, Epiphanny Prince, Tanisha Wright. Essence Carson is from nearby Paterson, New Jersey.

Charles, Carson and Prince should be vital parts of the Liberty’s efforts to get back to the winning ways of old.

Laimbeer back for year three

Liberty head coach Bill Laimbeer isn’t a stranger to success in the WNBA. He helped guide the Detroit Shock to WNBA titles in 2003, 2006 and 2008. But since accepting the Liberty job he hasn’t been able to experience the same success in New York.

This year’s roster – with the draft additions, acquisitions and signings – appears to be more in line with what Laimbeer needs to run his system. He was initially let go in October of 2014, but the Liberty rehired him in January. Now, with an offseason full of roster moves behind him, it will be interesting to see if the Liberty look any different in year three under the former Pistons great.

Can Charles build off success?

Tina Charles was a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season for the Liberty in 2014, averaging 17.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. She seemed to become more comfortable in her role in Laimbeer’s system during the second half of the season.

Perhaps a little time was all the former WNBA MVP (2012) needed to get back to her dominant ways. Charles came to New York in 2014 after spending the first four years of her career with the Connecticut Sun. The three-time All-Star will be a vital part of what the Liberty hope to accomplish in 2015, and she’ll need to build off the strides made during the second half of the year and anchor the Liberty frontcourt on both ends of the floor.