“And I don’t think I realized at the moment because we were so focused on that game,” said Leonie Fiebich before the German women’s basketball debut on the Olympic stage this year. Despite being a rookie, she gradually transitioned into one of the New York Liberty’s core players. Suited up in that seafoam jersey she is all about fitting in rather than standing out. However, she isn’t new to the sport, professionally, and has won several accolades under her belt, which ironically she hates, as her German teammate Nyara Sabally put it, “Ever since she was little, she’s always hated awards.”

As a result, Fiebich is more about playing the game and not dwelling on the achievements. Blasted off in her inaugural season, Leonie Fiebich’s postseason play has gathered praise from the NBA legend and German basketball icon Dirk Nowitzki. So, let’s take a deep dive into her ethnic roots and find out where she gets her sheer will from.

Leonie Fiebich European roots

Born in January 2000, Leonie Fiebich is of German descent and a native of Bayern, Landsberg, Germany. Growing up, she used to play for her home club, the DJK Landsberg. Then, at the age of 14, she was a youth player on Landsberg’s women’s team. In 2015, she competed at the FIBA U16 European Championship Women, Division A. In the tournament, she played 5 games, through which she scored 2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game.

Although it is only now that she is playing as a WNBA rookie; however, it was in 2016 when she embarked on her professional journey with TS Jahn Munchen. In her inaugural season with the club, Fiebich averaged 12.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. For the following season, she kept her performance in a similar stat spectrum.

Meanwhile, she also participated in the 2016 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship, Division A, where she took a huge leap in her performance. Through 7 games, she put in a double-double with an average of 11.9 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.

Then for the 2018-19 season, Fiebich was signed by the German multi-sport club called Wasserburg. Her average of 10.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game earned her the honor of Bundesliga newcomer. Moreover, she competed in the 2018 FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship and kept her scoring on the same level, but did take a step back in terms of getting boards.

However, the 2019-20 season didn’t turn out to be that fruitful, as she tore her cruciate ligament at the 2019 FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. Before her injury, she could average 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists through 3 games.

After recovery, she returned to the club for the 2020-21 season; however, she couldn’t play because of the pandemic. This was pivotal for her international career as well, as she transitioned from youth to senior-level basketball.

Fiebich growing her game

Post-pandemic life brought a fresh start for Fiebich as she went ahead and joined the French basketball club called Flammes Carolo Basket. Not having to compete for an entire year, Fiebich took it big to perform and hence participated in the 2021 EuroCup Women. Through the tournament, she averaged 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

Also, she competed in the 2021 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers. She played 6 games, through which she averaged 13.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Coming back, she moved to Australia and played for the Warwick Senators, the NBL1 West club based in Perth.

Fiebich came through big time as she dominated the post-season and led the Senators to the 2022 NBL1 National Championship. Similarly, she led the team to the NBL1 West Championship. Hence, she was named the MVP for the NBL1 West Grand Final and the NBL1 National Finals Championship Game.

For the 2022 season, she again took a trip halfway across the world and joined Casademont Zaragoza of the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto. She stayed with the club for two seasons, i.e., through 2022 and 2023. Similarly, she participated in the 2022 and 2023 FIBA EuroCup Women Tournaments.

Before entering the WNBA, she led Zaragoza to the 2023 Spanish Cup title. Hence, she was named the Spanish League MVP twice. Moreover, she earned All-EuroLeague First Team in 2024 as she was the team’s leading scorer for the 2023-24 season.

Despite winning numerous accolades and championship titles, Fiebich has stayed humble and started as a rookie in the WNBA. Hence, she played a pivotal role in the New York Liberty’s 2024 WNBA championship victory, scoring 13 points and 7 rebounds in the 67-62 OT win over the Minnesota Lynx.