Sabrina Ionescu Out 2 Weeks After Ankle Injury, Liberty Missing Star Guard Before Season Opener

The New York Liberty just got hit with some brutal timing. Four-time All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu will miss at least two weeks with an ankle injury, according to the New York Post, and the MRI showed she dodged a major bullet. She rolled her left ankle during Sunday's preseason win against Connecticut, but doctors confirmed there's no significant injury, per the report.

Here's the thing though: the Liberty open their 2026 WNBA regular season against the Sun on Friday night in Brooklyn, and Ionescu is not going to be there. She played 16 minutes in that 79-67 victory over Connecticut and dropped six points with two assists before the injury hit.

What Ionescu Brings When Healthy

This matters because Ionescu is not some role player the Liberty can afford to lose for two weeks. Last season, the 28-year-old averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.9 rebounds across all 38 games she started. Over her entire career with New York, she's putting up 16.7 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds across 181 games, all 177 of which came as a starter. She helped the Liberty win the WNBA championship in 2024, so this team runs through her.

Missing the Opening Tip

The timing is messy. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2020 WNBA Draft will be sidelined right out of the gate, forcing the Liberty to figure out how to attack Friday night's season opener without one of their most dynamic playmakers. Two weeks minimum puts her in the rearview for the start of the season, and every game counts in the regular season grind.

Watch for how the Liberty adjust their rotation without Ionescu on the court. Friday night in Brooklyn is the first test of what this team looks like without their four-time All-Star pulling the strings.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.