New York Liberty's Kara Braxton (left) and Alex Montgomery box out Connecticut Suns' Tina Charles.

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GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -- One week into their first training camp under Bill Laimbeer, the New York Liberty are full of excitement and optimism.

"He has a great system for us, utilizes everyone at their strengths," forward Essence Carson said Monday at the team's annual media day. "We're just trying to get this chemistry together and get it rolling."

Laimbeer's hiring in New York last October has energized a franchise that reached the WNBA Finals four times in the league's first six years, but has not been back to the championship round since losing to Los Angeles in its last appearance in 2002.

"I'm excited," said Liberty star Cappie Pondexter, who joined the team Sunday after helping Fenerbahce win the Turkish League title. "(Laimbeer) is a player's coach, definitely. ... I'm excited I get to learn a lot from him."

After struggling to a .500 record the last two years under former coach John Whisenant, expectations are sky-high for the team under Laimbeer, who led the Detroit Shock to three championships in a six-year stretch before stepping down early in the 2009 season to pursue opportunities in the NBA.

"Bill is a perfect fit for New York," Pondexter said. "He's got that New York swagger, that New York attitude and he brought players in that fit that and we're going to have a great year. ... He's a defensive guy, but he's smart, too, with his offensive tricks and things like that."

Forgotten is the rivalry Detroit and New York had over the years while meeting in the postseason three times. The Liberty won a first-round series in 2004, knocking out the then-defending champs on a buzzer-beater in the decisive Game 3, but then came up short in hard-fought three-game series in the first round in 2007 and the conference semifinals in 2008 during the Shock's run to their last title.

Carson, the longest-tenured player on the roster entering her sixth season, was a rookie during that last playoff meeting.

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WNBA: Liberty feeling optimistic about new year