It has been a postseason of extremes for the New York Liberty this year. On one hand, they made WNBA history by ousting the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in Round 1, only to be swept by the Atlanta Dream in the Semifinals. More than the series loss, Sabrina Ionescu’s lack of impact has NBC Sports’ NBA & WNBA analyst Trysta Krick issuing a very blunt take on the 4x All-Star, insisting that the threshold for keeping her has passed.
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“We [were] eliminated, and I have thoughts. Number one, Sabrina, you need to be traded. I’m sorry. You’re slow. Ever since that ankle sprain, you haven’t been yourself. We haven’t seen the shot-making. The passing has been abysmal for someone who’s supposed to be a playmaker,” Krick said in a social media post.
Ionescu suffered an ankle injury in a preseason game on May 3 this year. She did not feature for the Liberty till the May 24 outing against the Dallas Wings. At the time, Ionescu indicated that the injury was nothing serious, and she would get back into her normal rhythm sooner than the initial timeline of her ouster.
“Once it healed, I’m good to go,” said Ionescu. “I’m really excited to be back and work myself back into feeling good as it continues to heal.”
However, it’s not hard to see the point Krick is making here. Once Ionescu was back in the lineup, the dip in her form was too obvious. While the initial few games can be set aside as a buffer to get back into full fitness, her end-of-season stats reflect a dire picture. From averaging 18.2 points per game last season, Ionescu finished this season with just 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 31 regular-season games.
The signature traits that defined Ionescu as a player also took a hit this season, as she finished 12th this season in three-pointers made, down from seventh last year. Her efficiency from beyond the arc also took a tumble, from 58th-best 3P% last season to 71st this year. Ionescu led the league in FT% last season but slipped to seventh place this year.
But for Krick, more than the stats, Ionescu’s costly mistakes in the semifinals were the final nail in the coffin for her.
“The two turnovers in crucial back-to-back games is what got the Liberty eliminated,” added Krick. “And it’s not fair to Stewie (Breanna Stewart). It’s not fair to Jonquel (Jones). Like, I’m sorry, you already have Pauline Astier. You already have (Marine) Fauthoux. You don’t need Sabrina anymore. I’m sorry. Also, I don’t think this is her team. I know she thinks this is her team. It’s not her team.”
Despite scoring a game-high 27 points in Game 1 of the Semifinals, Ionescu’s five giveaways contributed to a brutal 19-turnover team performance that allowed Atlanta to break the game open in the third quarter.
Then in Game 2, though, Ionescu managed fewer turnovers (two); her final one was devastating—throwing a pass out of bounds with 6.5 seconds left in overtime to seal the 101-98 loss, for which she took responsibility. Moreover, she scored only 10 points in 38 minutes, but had seven assists.
“I told them it was my fault,” Ionescu said after Game 2. “I took ownership for that. I mean, this loss is on me. I got to take it on the chin, and I got to be better.”
Then, in the final game, Ionescu committed three turnovers, including a critical late-game foul on DeWanna Bonner that halted a late Liberty comeback attempt.
Along with Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu has been a consistent part of Liberty’s setup in the last few years. At her finest, she is an elite offensive threat, especially from the perimeter.
Although not ideal by any standards, it will be unlikely to see New York trade away Ionescu. After all, the Liberty players did give their all in the series. And like any other series, sometimes the results just don’t go your way. But Ionescu and Co. remain aware of the fact that some changes could be expected on the roster.
“Other than that, I’m not really sure what anything’s going to look like, but obviously, like the group that we have, us three up here (Ionescu, Jones, and Stewart) poured our hearts into trying to make this work for this organization and this fan base that showed up for us through all the highs and lows of this season,” Ionescu said in the post-elimination press conference.
Fans will hope that the 2024 WNBA champion can get back to her usual dominant self next season.