The New York Liberty dropped their second straight game on Sunday night, falling 76-67 to the Golden State Valkyries. The defeat once again underscored the struggles star guard Sabrina Ionescu has been going through since coming back from injury.
Ionescu had another subpar performance in the loss, scoring nine points, three rebounds and two assists. She shot only 3 of 10 from the field and made just two of her six 3-point attempts.
Following the game, Ionescu was straightforward about the reality she’s facing but noted she is “giving herself some grace” to regain her Midas touch.
“I’ve never missed a month in a season, unless it was my rookie year and I missed the whole season,” Ionescu told reporters. “So, yeah, I mean, obviously it’s been a learning experience for me. I’ve never missed this much time, especially early on in the year, where you’re kind of trying to find your identity as a team and build chemistry with players you haven’t played with, and obviously a new coach and new system. So, all of that is new.”
Ionescu played six straight games for the first time this season after missing most of the early action due to persistent back soreness and a left ankle injury. She showed flashes of her brilliance with her first double-double of the season in an 87-76 win over the Las Vegas Aces, whom the Liberty will also face next in the Commissioner’s Cup final.
Despite the struggles, Ionescu’s focus remains on patience and a commitment to getting more reps to rediscover her form and build momentum. She said:
“Trying to continue to give myself some grace, but still get better every single time that I’m out there, getting more comfortable physically with what we’re trying to do, just keep growing game by game, but understanding I missed a month and that, I can’t really take that back, but all I can do is kind of look forward and just keep knowing that I will get better.”
Going through these hurdles will only help Ionescu and the Liberty in the long run. With the team only halfway through the season and 24 games remaining, Ionescu has more than enough time to regain her rhythm and fully reintegrate into the Liberty’s new coach’s system.
Liberty will need Sabrina Ionescu at her best if they hope to win the Commissioner’s Cup final
Every game that passes where Ionescu hits a wall makes things quite a bit more difficult. But after dropping two straight games, the Liberty have no choice but to win out if they want to become the first team to win the Commissioner’s Cup twice when they face a familiar foe, the Las Vegas Aces, on Tuesday.
It could not be a better time for Ionescu to make a statement. She already performed well against the Aces earlier, but doing it at home when it matters most would be a massive statement.
Ionescu is a capable player, one who is attuned to the pressures that come with playing on the biggest stage, but it will be interesting to see which version of her shows up. While the Liberty enter the matchup on a rough note, the Aces are coming in on the heels of back-to-back wins, including a 107-99 road victory over the Chicago Sky.
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