Getting to Know Sabrina Ionescu
Sabrina Ionescu made headlines last October with a clutch shot during the WNBA Finals, a moment that secured her team’s first championship. It wasn’t just luck, though; she mentioned, “That’s a shot I take often. I practice it before games.” I suppose it’s one of those things that you just find yourself doing regularly.
This season has been quite the ride as well. Ionescu is enjoying her best scoring season yet, averaging a career-high in points per game. It’s her fourth time being named an All-Star, which is, well, pretty impressive to add to her already stellar resume.
The 5’11” guard has quite a track record; she was the foremost leader in triple-doubles during her college years at Oregon and earned accolades like being the Naismith College Player of the Year. Not to mention, she’s made the WNBA All-Star second team three times and holds the record for the most three-pointers in an All-Star contest, having sunk 25 of 27 attempts in 2023 for a whopping 37 points.
Sabrina Ionescu’s Offensive Struggles This Season
However, this season hasn’t been entirely straightforward for the Liberty. Following the injury of last year’s MVP, Jonquel Jones, the team has faced significant challenges. They’ve lost five of their last ten games, and Ionescu has struggled too. Just last Saturday, she managed only nine points on three-of-20 shooting. Then on Wednesday, she had a slightly better day with 15 points but still shot 5-of-14, though she did add nine assists.
Overall, Ionescu is averaging 18.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game this season. Her shooting percentages are down, currently at 38% from the field and 30.9% from beyond the arc, which are both lower than her career averages.
Still, she’s set to participate in the WNBA All-Star 3-point contest on Friday, joining big names like Kelsey Plum from the Sparks and Alisha Gray from the Dream. It’s hard to imagine she won’t find her groove soon; after all, she set a record for the most three-pointers in a single WNBA season with 128 in 2023, shooting an impressive 44.8% from three-point range that year.
In spite of her recent shooting woes, Ionescu has been more aggressive in drawing fouls, averaging 4.9 free throws per game with a phenomenal 93.4% success rate. Additionally, her defensive game has improved, as she’s averaging a career-high 1.6 steals.
So even though she’s facing some unique challenges, Ionescu remains a crucial player for the Liberty’s playoff aspirations.
