The New York Liberty faced the Connecticut Sun in their preseason matchup, but it did not go well for the Liberty’s superstar, Sabrina Ionescu. Teams are in preparation for a new season, which will begin on May 8, after most went into overhaul mode this offseason. The Liberty won the second warmup game after losing the first one to the Indiana Fever, but lost a crucial piece in the process.
The first half of the preseason game between the Liberty and the Sun got a little intense. In the third quarter, Ionescu had the ball, and she tried to approach the ring with Diamond Miller on her back. As she showed some solid footwork under the ring and jumped up to lay the ball in, the guard awkwardly landed on the feet of the defender and rolled her ankle.
Ionescu was immediately taken back to the locker room and diagnosed. Head coach Chris DeMarco later informed that the Liberty guard has rolled her ankle and will undergo an MRI on Monday.
The video of the incident showed that it might have been enough to keep her out of the initial chunk of games in the regular season. However, some fans blamed the head coach for his decision to play his important pieces in a preseason game.
Fans criticize Chris DeMarcus for playing Sabrina Ionescu in preseason
Sabrina Ionescu also played in the first preseason game against the Indiana Fever for 15 minutes. She is one of the most important parts of the core, alongside Breanna Stewart, Satou Sabally, and Jonquel Jones.
Fans were furious after the news of Ionescu’s injury was announced, as one wrote:
“Shouldn’t have play in preseason game especially in second half.
Dumb coaching right there.”
Another user wrote on the same line:
“She shouldn’t have even been in the game. Dumbass coaching”
One fan was concerned about Ionescu’s well-being and said:
“Yikes that’s not good, I hope all is alright”
Another wrote:
“Why they had her in during the second half I will never know”
One more fan sent support and prayers for the superstar guard and wrote:
“Sabrina’s built different — this is just a minor bump on her road to another championship ! Sending strength for a quick recovery, Queen. Liberty fans got your back!”
The Liberty squad looked ready to contend for a title this season, but Ionescu’s injury will surely hamper their plans for a few days at least. It’ll be clearer after the MRI for how many days she will be sidelined, and the team can plan accordingly. Meanwhile, the Liberty has the services of Rebekah Gardener and Marine Johannes, who can take the duties in the Ionescu’s absence.
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