Sabrina Ionescu Injured Before Liberty vs Dream Matchup
The New York Liberty's list of medical nightmares is only growing with a major matchup against the Atlanta Dream looming.
Heading south for a weekend tilt against Atlanta, the Liberty announced that Sabrina Ionescu is questionable with a foot injury. Ionescu is joined by Isabelle Harrison (concussion protocol), Nyara Sabally (knee), and Breanna Stewart (knee), all of whom are still listed as out.
Ionescu was somewhat ailing after the shocking loss to the Chicago Sky, as Kamilla Cardoso came down on her leg during a tangle-up for a rebound in the final minute. The All-Star point guard spoke to the media with no form of encumbrance on her lower body.
.@LucasKaplan_ asked her about this when Ionsecu and Kamilla Cardoso were battling for a rebound.
— Jackie Powell (she/her) (@ClassicJpow) August 22, 2025
"Hopefully better tomorrow," she said. " [Cardoso] landed really hard on my foot so yeah hopefully I feel better tomorrow." https://t.co/13LLCsLx7Q pic.twitter.com/ZG8I53oWOh
"Hopefully better tomorrow," Ionescu said when asked how she felt by Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily. "[Cardoso] landed really hard on my foot. So, yeah, hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow."
The last thing that the Liberty (22-14) needs is another injury: the group, having dropped three of four, has frequently admitted that their issues go on the persistent medical woes but this championship defense has no doubt been at least partly defined by frequent injury interruptions. Ionescu previously missed a June visit to Seattle with a neck issue, as New York has not been able to field a full roster since the opening night win over Las Vegas back in mid-May.
At the top of the list is Stewart, who is dealing with a bone bruise on her knee and has not played since the opening half of July 26's home game against Los Angeles. Stewart has since declared a "non-negotiable" goal to return by her birthday on Aug. 27.
Harrison, on the other hand, has missed the last six games in concussion protocol while fellow depth star Sabally hasn't been seen since the All-Star break ended, though she was clad in practice gear this week and underwent an evaluation.
A logjam in the upper half of the WNBA standings has raised the profile of the final Liberty-Dream get-together of the regular season: Atlanta (23-13) is the current runner-up behind Minnesota after upsetting the league-leading Lynx on Thursday night. Currently placed fourth, the Liberty would secure the vital head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dream with a win. Second and fifth place is current separated by a game-and-a-half.
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.