The New York Liberty arrive with an ocean of expectations for their Big 3. Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones had an underwhelming 2025 season, leading to a first-round exit. So, the management-cycled coaches brought in reinforcements in the form of Satou Sabally to renew a title-contending team. However, their preseason matchup against the Connecticut Sun has given Sabrina Ionescu an injury scare that could flip Liberty’s plans.

With less than three minutes into the third quarter, Sabrina Ionescu tried to drive to the rim for a reverse layup. However, her leg tangled with Daimond Miller’s, who was guarding her and Ionescu went down, holding her left ankle. The point guard limped off to the bench and did not return, finishing the game with 6 points and 2 assists. Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds and is a core part of Liberty’s title ambitions. With the season opener set on Friday, coach Chris DeMarco sent a hopeful update after the game. 

“She just rolled her ankle. She’s getting an MRI tomorrow,” DeMarco told the media. However, the concern is more serious than just a minor injury. Ionescu suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain and had to undergo surgery on that back in 2020. Ankle pain lingered throughout the 2021 season, and it wasn’t until the 2022 campaign the point guard said she was back to full fitness. So, the worst-case scenario here is a return to those “dark days” for Ionescu. Yet, DeMarco and Jonquel Jones remain optimistic. 

“It’s positive right now. It’s just going to do the test tomorrow and that’s the only update I have,” he said after being asked regarding her 2020 ankle injury. “It wasn’t good to see. I was able to check in with our PT during the game to make sure she was okay. But like Chris said, our fingers are crossed, and we’ll handle it as we get more information,” Jonquel Jones said. 

The Liberty already had an injury-prone 2025 season. Jonquel Jones missed most of the season with an ankle injury. Breanna Stewart had a knee issue towards the end of the season. Ionescu missed a few games with minor injuries. Key pieces like Nyara Sabally and Isabelle Harrison also couldn’t contribute because of injuries. 

Their fitness or lack thereof was a major contributor to the 27-17 record and No. 5 seeding. It’s especially important to stay healthy for this Liberty core because they are all in their prime. Ionescu and Satou are 28, Stewart is 31 and Jones is 32. This is the time to campaign for their second title. 

It’s also important in the context of the major change in the coaching. It’s DeMarco’s first head coaching job in the WNBA. For his transition to go about smoothly, the team can’t be constantly chopping and changing because of injuries. While the immediate concern remains Sabrina Ionescu’s health, her potential absence or even limited mobility raises a larger question: how much does this new-look Liberty system actually depend on her as a primary scorer?

Sabrina Ionescu Could Take A Secondary Role In This Chris DeMarco Offense

Chris DeMarco came with his “family style” offense where everyone contributes and not just one or two stars on the team. He has bet on a modern, positionless basketball at the Liberty. But, coming from the Warriors, the perceptions tend to tilt towards their iconic 5-out system focused on threes.

And fans expected Sabrina Ionescu to play a central part under DeMarco, possibly becoming that primary go-to option. However, his initial games suggest that he is focused on getting to the rim rather than shooting from downtown. Against the Indiana Fever, the Liberty attempted only 15 threes but that number improved to 26 against the Connecticut Sun. However, DeMarco claimed that they were “too unselfish,” which led to this increased number. 

“I thought we were really unselfish at times, even too unselfish. If we have an opportunity to get by our person, we want to do that and try to score,” DeMarco said when asked about the uptick in threes. “We were really looking for each other, and as we get more comfortable with the offense, we’ll know where our teammates are and in what spots. As long as we’re playing hard and attacking the paint, whether with the ball or through cuts, it will create opportunities for threes. But we really want to get to the rim first.”

It seems like the new coach wants the priority to be paint scoring. And they have weapons for that too with Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones forming a deadly frontcourt duo along with Leonie Fiebich, Han Xu and Betniyah Laney Hamilton in their rotation as well. 

That could mean Ionescu takes a slight backseat on the perimeter and focuses on her creation rather than shooting. However, it’s still early into the stint for DeMarco and he has maintained being a “student of the game.” The tactics might keep changing as the season goes on.