The 2026 WNBA season was tough for Sabrina Ionescu. She dealt with injuries, missed 13 games, and averaged some of her worst marks in years with 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. She also shot below 30% from three for the second consecutive season. With her individual struggles and the Liberty’s inability to return to the finals, there’s an argument to be made that the organization should trade her and retool around Breanna Stewart.
Moving on from Ionescu would make sense in many ways, but, while I wouldn’t rule it out as a possibility, it’s probably still unlikely. She was the team’s number-one pick in 2020 and the first major part of their championship build. That’s not the type of player you easily move on from, especially when your fan base is already mad at you over letting go of Sandy Brondello and then replacing her with an inadequate coach who only lasted one season.
If the Liberty aren’t willing to trade Ionescu this offseason, they need a big bounce-back season from her in 2027. Her offseason plans should hopefully help with that. Ionescu is not currently signed to play in Unrivaled, Project B, or an overseas league, and not playing could be exactly what she needs after an injury-ridden season.
Ionescu needs a healthy WNBA season to bounce back
Ionescu first missed time with an ankle injury she suffered in preseason. She made her debut on May 24 but immediately had to miss time again, this time with a back issue. Back injuries are tricky to deal with and recover from. The back is so central to everything that even just a bit of remaining soreness or discomfort can throw off motions and shots.
Ionescu needs time to rest and “get right,” as she put it, and individual work once she’s ready, not another season of competitive games that come with a whole new injury risk.
She also needs to play better in the 2027 season. The Liberty have Breanna Stewart signed through the 2028 season. That means the next two years are championship-or-bust seasons. Stewart is still playing like an MVP candidate, and if the Liberty aren’t seriously competing for a championship, they are wasting her talent. Ionescu will be a big part of that if she remains with the Liberty,. It will be difficult to compete for a title if one of the team’s big three struggles on defense and can’t reliably knock down 3-pointers when she’s supposed to be one of the league’s biggest threats from behind the arc.
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