The New York Liberty worked hard to win their 2024 championship. They don't want it to be their only WNBA Finals victory, though. Sabrina Ionescu is preaching a "short memory" mentality heading into the 2025 campaign, via Madeline Kenney of The New York Post.
"It’s having that short memory of wanting to be the best and never settling," Ionescu said recently. "And I think everyone on the team understands when we came here … when we kind of suit up especially now and not take any of these days for granted because it’s a new season."
Sabrina Ionescu focused on winning
Ionescu is looking to lead the Liberty to a second consecutive championship. New York earned the right to celebrate the Finals win during the offseason. Now, though, this is a team that wants to turn the chapter.
Some teams struggle after winning a championship? Why? Well, there can be a number of reasons.
Perhaps the team lost multiple impactful players in the offseason. Other times, a team loses its edge after getting the job done in the Finals.
Ionescu's comments suggest that the edge is not going anywhere, and New York is returning a similar roster to 2024. As long as injuries do not prove to be too big of an issue, this Liberty team is going to be in a position to make another deep playoff run.
Ionescu's 2025 season outlook
Ionescu, 27, has made three consecutive All-Star teams. She finished sixth in MVP voting a season ago, the closest she has come to winning the award. Ionescu could get even closer to taking home MVP honors in 2025. Her primary focus is on winning, however.
In 2024, the Liberty guard averaged 18.2 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. Yet, despite those strong numbers, Ionescu endured one of the most inefficient seasons of her career, shooting just 39.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point land. One has to imagine that Ionescu -- who has shot over 36 percent from beyond the arc in her WNBA career -- will get back on track in 2025.
If she does indeed shoot at a more efficient level while also helping the Liberty win games on a consistent basis, she could finish within the top five of MVP voting for the first time in her WNBA career. As mentioned, though, winning another championship is Ionescu's priority.