Sabrina Ionescu has been the heart of the New York Liberty since she was drafted No. 1 by the team in 2020, and she's stuck with the legacy franchise long enough to go from 2-win seasons to hoisting the WNBA Championship trophy in 2024. Playing alongside Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, Ionescu has provided an invaluable offensive spark to the Liberty that has allowed the team to consistently finish near the top of the rankings for years now.
The 2026 season was supposed to be more of the same. Just over 40% of WNBA general managers predicted the Liberty will meet the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals, but the team is off to a slower start than usual, sitting at 12-8. That's good for 5th place in league standings. Injuries have plagued the team, sidelining Ionescu and blockbuster signing Satou Sabally at the beginning of the season. Sabally has seen the floor and put in some good minutes for the Liberty, but finds herself sidelined again with a concussion; Ionescu, on the other hand, needed more time to get back, but has now rejoined the starting lineup.
In the seven games since her return against the Washington Mystics, Ionescu averaged 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 35% shooting. The guard isn't producing like she normally does, and the Liberty are 3-4 in that stretch, dropping games to lower-ranked teams like the Los Angeles Sparks, Seattle Storm, and Mystics. Ionescu has been far from the only problem––Stewart and Jones have publicly called out the lack of effort from the New York team––but it isn't easy to get into a winning groove without your starting point guard.
The Liberty fully stand behind Sabrina
When asked about Ionescu's return to play ahead of the Commissioner's Cup Final in Brooklyn, Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said he's not worried. "It's not like you come back from injury and feel amazing...I'm sure she's playing through some pain...she's one of the best players in this league and we're ready to play tonight."
The players feel the same: in an interview with The IX Sports, Stewart said, "It’s on us, her teammates, to continue to give her that confidence. Continue to uplift her, and know that, it takes time even if you weren’t out for all these games, it takes time to get a flow back into it.” Jones also emphasized the importance of being patient with Ionescu.
Ionescu has shown some flashes since being back. In the Liberty's game against the Aces, the guard scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, more than Stewart, Jones, A'ja Wilson, or anyone on the floor, for that matter. She's been able to play over 20 minutes in each game, showing that DeMarco is fully confident that she should be back on the floor.
Ionescu is no stranger to dealing with injuries, having missed the vast majority of her rookie season and some other time in subsequent seasons. As her teammates and coach have made clear, she knows her body and recovery best; now, it's about how the Liberty can adjust.
The Liberty's next steps
"We're not a finished product," DeMarco told reporters on Tuesday. "It's gonna take time...obviously, Satou [Sabally] misses and we have players coming back....we have a lot of gaps, but we know we have to play better. No matter what combination is out there, we need to play hard and we need to execute."
DeMarco is a new coach, and the roster is different from past years. The Liberty are absolutely capable of making a deep run in the 2026 playoffs, and even winning the Finals, but chemistry is key. Finding out how players like Marine Johannès, Pauline Astier, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Raquel Carrera fit into this rotation is a tall task, but time is ticking for the Liberty to do so.
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