Sabrina Ionescu’s Ongoing Absence from Games

On Monday, Sabrina Ionescu was ruled out of her sixth game of the season. The Liberty organization announced her absence about an hour before the game, following a stretch of time when she had already missed the first two weeks due to a left foot injury. This decision came on the second night of back-to-back games.

Ionescu had made her season debut just the day before against the Dallas Wings, where she managed to score 11 points along with five rebounds and seven assists during 31 minutes on the court. However, her shooting was less than stellar, as she missed her last seven field goal attempts, with her final point coming in the second quarter.

Post-game, she mentioned feeling good but didn’t elaborate further.

The Liberty also felt the absence of Betoniya Rainey-Hamilton, who was out for personal reasons, and Leonie Fievich, who was resting.

Additionally, Laney Hamilton missed his third consecutive game due to undisclosed personal reasons. Coach Chris DeMarco mentioned that they were approaching Hamilton’s situation “day by day” and that she’s “getting closer” to a return.

As for Fievich, her season debut will now be postponed even further, at least by one more game. She joined the Liberty recently after helping Valencia secure the Spanish league title.

DeMarco shared that he has no set timeline for Fievich’s return but emphasized there’s no rush. “It’s a bit unpredictable, like long flights and acclimating to New York,” he noted. “We hope another game will help, but we don’t want to force anything on her. We need to gauge how she feels.”

On that Monday, Sabally Sato contributed her third consecutive start but had to leave for the locker room during the first half because she was feeling unwell. She did not return after halftime.

Sabally’s debut with the Liberty was delayed until last week after her rehabilitation for an earlier injury, and she missed the season opener due to a cyst. She finally joined the team for their unfortunate loss to the Golden State Valkyries after missing the initial four games.

Despite looking a bit out of sync in her first game, she bounced back with a team-high of 20 points in her next game, showing improvement. “I just need to keep my confidence up. That injury was serious,” DeMarco commented. “She made progress in her last game, feeling more comfortable outside. It’s essential for us to have her back and enjoying the game.”

The Liberty utilized forward Anneli Maley for a second consecutive game. Maley signed a developmental contract with New York recently that allows her to participate in only 12 games. Meanwhile, Marine Fortwo, the other developmental player, remains out as she recovers from a left knee injury.