New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will miss at least two weeks with a left ankle injury and will not play in Friday's season opener against Connecticut.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will miss at least two weeks with a left ankle injury and will not play in Friday's season opener against the Connecticut Sun, the team announced Monday.
An MRI showed no significant damage. Ionescu will be re-evaluated in two weeks. The injured ankle is the same one that ended her rookie season in 2020 after three games.
Ionescu was hurt early in the third quarter of New York's 79-67 preseason win Sunday after tangling with Sun forward Diamond Miller on a reverse layup. She walked off the floor and left the arena in a walking boot. She finished with 6 points on 2-of-8 shooting in nearly 16 minutes.
Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 38 games last season and was named an All-Star for the fourth time. Rookie Pauline Astier is the likely starter at point guard in her place, joining Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones in the lineup. Forward Satou Sabally is also out with a cyst.
"Obviously, one of our better players is going to be missing. It's tough," head coach Chris DeMarco said.
The Liberty are one of the league's title favorites this season. The Phoenix Mercury eliminated them in a first-round best-of-three series last fall, and head coach Sandy Brondello was fired in September. DeMarco was hired from the Golden State Warriors' coaching staff to replace her.
The Sun finished 11-33 last year, the most losses in franchise history. The franchise was sold to the Houston Rockets ownership group and will relocate to Houston after the 2026 season. Coach Rachid Meziane enters his second year with eight rookies on the roster.
Connecticut's biggest offseason addition was Brittney Griner, who signed a one-year deal at age 35. Griner averaged 9.8 points and shot 51.8% with the Atlanta Dream last season after 11 years in Phoenix. Friday will be her Sun debut.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET at Barclays Center.
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