Consideration of Isiah Thomas for New York Liberty ownership suspended

Last month, Isiah Thomas was named president of the WNBA’s New York Liberty. He was also to be part owner of the franchise, with his ownership needing to be approved by the WNBA’s Board of Governors. On Monday, the league released a statement saying Thomas’ consideration for ownership in the Liberty has been suspended until further notice.

“After further discussion and with the season underway, the WNBA and the New York Liberty have agreed to suspend consideration of Isiah Thomas’ application for an ownership interest in the Liberty until further notice,” said the statement . “The process will resume at a future time as determined by the Liberty.”

The decision to name Thomas to the position was met with criticism due to a jury ruling the NBA Hall of Famer made unwarranted advances toward a New York Knicks executive while Thomas was head coach of the team. Anucha Browne Sanders was awarded over $11 million in damages as a result of a settlement of the case.

Since then, Thomas has maintained his innocence.

“If people want to continue to believe in the falsities, I can’t speak to that. I can only speak to the facts,” Thomas told ESPN Radio last month.

While Thomas’ application to be a partial owner will be temporarily put on hold, he will continue in his role as team president.