The warning bells have started going off in New York. The 81-74 loss to the Portland Fire means the Liberty have now failed to win three home games for the first time since 2022. The expectations of challenging for the title have fallen flat, and injuries have only added to Chris DeMarco’s problems. Sabrina Ionescu, who missed six games with an ankle injury earlier this season, was rested against Portland. Now, just two days later, the Liberty revealed she is dealing with a new issue entirely.

“Notable for tomorrow: NY’s Sabrina Ionescu (back; soreness), Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (personal) & Satou Sabally (illness) are all listed as questionable,” reported Alexa Phillippou. “Note that Sabrina Ionescu’s injury from the preseason was a foot; the back is a new inclusion on the IR.”

Ionescu’s ankle injury occurred during the preseason game against the Connecticut Sun.  She drove to the basket but landed awkwardly on her leg, limping off the court. She returned against the Dallas Wings after missing 6 games. The guard scored 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting from the field and dished out 7 assists to go with five rebounds in 31 minutes of action.

While Liberty has not linked the injuries, there is a possibility that her back is affected because of her ankle injury and her history with it. Research has shown an ankle strain can lead to lumbar strain through altered biomechanics and compensatory movement patterns. An athlete walks differently when the ankle is unable to take the same load, leading to more stress on the back as well. And this applies especially to Ionescu, who has a history of ankle injuries. 

Ionescu injured the same ankle that she injured in her rookie season back in 2020 and missed that entire season bar three games. It is generally considered a short-term injury at the least with a relatively quick recovery time. But it varies from case to case. If it’s mild, she can even play against Phoenix Mercury, but the management likely won’t risk it considering the recent recovery. 

With Ionescu very likely out against the Mercury, Pauline Astier could get the start again along with Marine Johannes. With Ionescu out, she has been their premier threat from beyond the arc, averaging 11.4 points while shooting 37.6% from the three-point line on 7.6 attempts per game. She would need to step up yet again. 

The positive side of this injury report is that Leonie Fiebich is not listed, giving them some extra offensive punch. But with Ionescu out, their offense has become stale, which is a major cause of concern. 

Sabrina Ionescu Injury Came At the Worst Time For New York Liberty

Sabrina Ionescu is the glue of this team. Last year, she averaged 18.2 points on a 40.2% Field Goal percentage while adding 5.7 assists. Her 3-point shooting dropped off to 29.9% but she had an immense impact across the season. Especially with her lack of turnovers, as she averaged 1 turnover a game and a turnover percentage of just 10.5%. That was the second lowest on this team. And this season, without Ionescu, they are struggling to create clear chances. Even turning the ball over like it’s a hot potato. 

“So much of their offense without Sabrina Ionescu is that they do not create advantages. If it’s not Breanna Stewart getting downhill and creating something off the drive or Pauline Astier in her first couple of games, the rest of their offense this year has mostly been standing on the perimeter firing up transition threes,” Hunter Cruse said in his analysis. “Or Marine creating something off a deep three.”

Scoring 36.3 points in the paint, they rank 10th as they have struggled to give Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones high percentage chances from the paint. Jones is shooting 57.1% from less than 5 feet, down from 59.5% last year. Stewart is shooting 55.6% from the same range, down from 65.6% last year. 

In the process, they are also averaging 15.6 turnovers per game, ranking 9th in the league. The team is conceding 17 points per game from them, which also ranks among the worst. Now, not everything is because of Ionescu’s absence. Some of these are coaching errors. But even Chris DeMarco is still settling in while facing an injury crisis. If Ionescu had been injured after DeMarco found his footing, this team would likely not look as bad as it is now.