New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu is expected to miss approximately one month of action with a grade three ankle sprain, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. The 2020 No. 1 pick rolled her left ankle after colliding with Atlanta Dream guard Betnijah Laney in the second quarter of Friday’s game and went down injured. The Liberty went on to lose the game, 84-78, for their third loss of the season.
WNBA No. 1 pick Sabrina Ionescu is expected to miss approximately one month with a Grade 3 left ankle sprain and will continue to be re-evaluated, source tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. https://t.co/bnuHGN7uIs
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 1, 2020
Ionescu had a relatively quiet debut during the team’s first game against the Seattle Storm, scoring 12 points, four assists, and six rebounds. In her second game against the young Dallas Wings, she really was unleashed though, dropping a career-high 33 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds despite the 80-93 loss. Before her injury on Friday, she had managed to put up 10 points and one steal, rebound, and assist.
Fellow Liberty guard Kia Nurse suffered an ankle sprain during the team’s opening game against the Storm, and was able to start against the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, but did not look like herself. She only managed two points in 22 minutes of action and struggled on the defensive end as well, seeming uncomfortable in her footwork. Nurse missed Friday night’s game against Atlanta after being placed on the injury list.
The Liberty entered the 2020 season with a very young roster that includes seven rookies, and have yet to win a game this year. Losing two star guards in Ionescu and Nurse will certainly hurt the team, and place even more responsibility upon Layshia Clarendon’s shoulders. Clarendon joined the team in the off season, and has been one of the bright spots for New York, averaging 15.7 points, four assists, and 3.3 rebounds a night so far.