Liberty Star Sabrina Ionescu Lands Another WNBA Award
A New York Liberty off day couldn't stop Sabrina Ionescu from going back-to-back.
The Liberty and the WNBA's 3-Point queen was offered another regaling on Tuesday, as the league named Ionescu the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, accounting for games played between July 22 and 27. In that span, Ionescu earned the 10th such title of her WNBA career by averaging 24 points, 7.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals.
Ionescu earned the same title last week, becoming the first Eastern rep to earn multiple such honors this season. This is also the first time a single player has won back-to-back Player of the Week awards while repping the Liberty since August 2022, when Ionescu herself pulled off the feat amidst a playoff chase.
The week saw Ionescu open the Liberty's second half and close out a Brooklyn homestand in style: a sterling fourth quarter helped seal the deal against the Indiana Fever last Tuesday before she tallied 29 in a win over the Phoenix Mercury three nights later. Ionescu's flirtation with a triple-double (29 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) helped the Liberty master the Mercury for the first time this season.
Ionescu then helped the Liberty keep pace in an offensive shootout with the Los Angeles Sparks, as she had 30 in the narrow 101-99 defeat. It was her 16th Liberty game with at least 30 points, extending her franchise record and she shot a combined 53.5 percent from the field in the weekend back-to-back.
Ionescu will likely have to take on a larger role in the Liberty's ongoing endeavors, as the team is set to be missing her fellow All-Star Breanna Stewart for at least some time. New York also played without depth stars Kennedy Burke and Nyara Sabally a 92-82 loss to the Dallas Wings in Arlington.
Ionescu was not immune to the Liberty's brutal struggles on Monday, scoring just one point as New York fell behind by 27 in anemic first half against the Dallas Wings. Sixteen second half points and improved defensive work from Ionescu helped the Liberty create a respectable final margin, one that was of little consolation to the New Yorkers in the aftermath.
The Liberty face one of their biggest challenges of the season on Wednesday night, as they'll face the Minnesota Lynx in the first of four WNBA Finals rematches (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). The second half of this four-game road trip will take place in Uncasville, as the Liberty have a weekend doubleheader against the Connecticut Sun.
Sharing Player of the Week honors with Ionescu is Western rep Dearica Hamby, part of the streaking Sparks. Hamby averaged a 20.3-point, 11.7-rebound double-double in three games, which included the aforementioned win over the Liberty. Hamby and the Sparks own the WNBA's longest active winning streak at five games and are set to welcome back injured sophomore sensation Cameron Brink to the fold.
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.