New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu might be on a scoring slump, but the 2024 WNBA champion remains unbothered as she knows there are plenty more games to get her groove back before the playoffs.
Despite a big 85-66 win over the Chicago Sky on Saturday, Ionescu was virtually absent for the night, only scoring two points, which came from the free-throw line.
After the game, the four-time WNBA All-Star expressed no concerns whatsoever with the slump she's in and kept her focus on what's ahead.
"It's not that big of a deal to me. I know who I am. I know what I'm able to do. [It has] kind of felt like the ball was allergic to the rim there for me. Like, it's literally just like toilet bowling out," Ionescu said via Liberty beat writer Myles Ehrlich.
Her coach, Chris DeMarco, also pointed out that Sabrina Ionescu isn't defined solely by her scoring.
"There's more to basketball to just scoring. That's why she's been such a great player forever. It's her ability to pass the ball, her ability to rebound. There's more ways to impact the game… the shots will come, no doubt about it. She's a great shooter," said DeMarco.
What she lacked in scoring, Sabrina Ionescu made up for in other departments, as she had five rebounds and four assists to help the Liberty notch their 24th win of the season.
Earlier this month, Team USA's managing director Sue Bird addressed the issues on Sabrina Ionescu being snubbed from the squad that's heading to Berlin for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup .
In a YouTube video posted by Indiana Fever reporter Scott Agness, Bird pointed out that she doesn't have any issues with Ionescu and believes that whoever made the cut will help Team USA head coach Kara Lawson deliver the gold.
"It's not a reflection of who they are as players — it's just not," Bird said. " For Sabrina, a player that has already been on this team, she understands what it is to wear the jersey. It was just about making choices for those that should be on … I think are going to be part of the 12 to win a gold medal and complement each other … playing under Kara [Lawson], having a cohesiveness and this is where it landed."
Sep 17, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) and Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2) during game two of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
For Sabrina Ionescu, on the other hand, there's no hard feelings given that she's also recovering from her back injury and the World Cup break could really help her a lot, especially with the grueling playoffs on the horizon.
"Obviously with a back injury, that's something that is always there," Ionescu said, per a New York Post report by Madeline Kenney. "Definitely nothing more than what it has been, but will obviously take the break that I get to just rest and really use the time to have my back feeling really good."
Because of her injury, Ionescu has missed 13 games this season for the Liberty and with the WNBA break coming up, she'll be using this time to recover and rejuvenate ahead of the battle ahead of them.
They still have games against the Minnesota Lynx on September 18, the Toronto Tempo on September 20, and back-to-back games against the Atlanta Dream on September 21 and 23 to determine where they'll end up in the playoff spots and who stands in their way to get to the WNBA Finals.
Related Reading:
Jun 14, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) tries to get past Washington Mystics guard Alicia Florez (2) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
https://hardwoodheroics.com/caitlin-clark-winning-mvp-fever-tough-spot/
https://hardwoodheroics.com/sophie-cunningham-claps-back-at-critics/
https://hardwoodheroics.com/breanna-stewart-welcomes-paige-bueckers/
