Sabrina Ionescu has suffered quite a number of notable injuries since entering the WNBA in 2020. In fact, this 2026 season alone, she has already dealt with two major injury setbacks. One was a back injury that left her on the sidelines for three weeks. The other was an ankle injury during the preseason.
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And one of the most difficult things an injury does to a player is that it denies them the joy of playing the game they love. For Ionescu, that has created a deeper appreciation in her, where she values the game even more every time she steps onto the court. And that was exactly what she showed when she led the New York Liberty to the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship on Tuesday.
“Every time I step out on the floor, whether it’s practice, offseason workouts, games, I just want to be my best,” Ionescu said, speaking in the post-game conference, a video of which reporter Madisyn Cunningham shared on her X page. “I don’t take this game for granted because it’s been taken away from me before.
“And so, you know, every time I’m out there, I’m just continuing to try and be my best, improve, put myself in uncomfortable situations so I can grow from it. And, you know, tonight, my mentality wasn’t any different.”
The New York Liberty ended the night with a 93-85 win over the Las Vegas Aces. And Sabrina Ionescu contributed a team-high 26 points, alongside five rebounds and five assists to that victory.
Since her return from her most recent injury, the back issue, on June 14, Ionescu had gone through a bit of a struggle. In the first game against the Mystics after her return, she only managed five points. The next game against the Sky, she had just 10.
With this game, however, the tide appears to have turned. And with the victory, which she contributed significantly to, the Liberty became the first franchise in WNBA history to win the in-season tournament title twice. Their initial Cup victory was in 2023.
Regardless, after two injuries already this season, that hurdle took a while for Sabrina Ionescu to fully get out of. But it appears she finally did in this Aces game, and it was evident in her performance.
Liberty fans can now enjoy the capability they know Ionescu can produce. They play the Lynx next. And more than ever, this brilliance she produced will definitely be needed if they are to overcome a team like the Minnesota Lynx.