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NEW YORK — Sabrina Ionescu could barely walk during last season's WNBA Finals. The New York Liberty star needed injections in his sore lower back in order to play in the opening game of the series against the Las Vegas Aces. She struggled to score, and last October, as the Aces were clinching a one-point victory on Liberty's home court, Ionescu threw up in a trash can on the sideline.
The Liberty and Aces were touted as the WNBA's super team last year because of their star power, including Ionescu. However, Vegas made a statement that left an indelible mark on Ionescu.
“Losing motivates me,” she says.
There was room for growth on the Liberty, and Ionescu knew that included her. She met with New York's coaching staff before returning to California last fall. They discussed in detail how she could improve. She was good with the ball in her hands, but was said to be defended too easily off the ball. They made a point of identifying pick-and-roll situations and taking advantage of them. They wanted Ionescu to become a better cutter, play at a variety of speeds, and attack the basket more.
Once healthy, she was able to work without any physical limitations or obvious limits to push herself.
“It's just that you always want to be better, it's not really about being complacent,” Ionescu said.
She always went to the gym. She worked on the handle and quickness. She added various floaters to the game. She focused on elevating from different dribbling variations and playing to her strengths. She played 5-on-5 with current and former Pac-12 players, WNBA players, and overseas pros. “There’s nothing like defense and live reps,” she said.
That alone wasn't enough. Ionescu devised challenges to make difficult training even tougher. Her trainer recalled a catch-and-shoot sequence in which Ionescu was tasked with making 20 deep 3-pointers and had to make the last five in a row. Ionescu added that each needs to be all-net. After scoring 13 times in a row, she exclaimed, several of them barely grazing the rim. “No, absolutely not. These don't count,” she said. She started the sequence again.
“Being able to play at full strength was a whole other story,” said Breen Weeks, who served as her basketball skills trainer the past two offseasons.
Another time, Ionescu hit five floaters with the same hand and foot on a one-dribble, but had to bank the last three into the glass without using his right hand as a guide. “If she doesn't like the height, it doesn't matter,” Weeks said. “That's how obsessive she is. That's how confined and detailed she is. I call her a ruthless competitor.”
“I know I can shoot, but I want to keep challenging myself in pursuit of perfection. Sometimes it's a swish, sometimes it's a challenging move,” Ionescu said.
Sabrina Ionescu turned up the heat in Game 4🔥
She lit up the court with 22 points and 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, energizing Liberty for the win. #Welcome to W pic.twitter.com/1zcSvivVlm
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 6, 2024
Tackling difficult moments head on was a theme throughout the early stages of Ionescu's career, which had its share of accomplishments but also its share of injuries and shortcomings. But her competitive obsession this offseason has taken her game to new heights. She has continued to go downhill, and is now New York's primary ball handler, averaging a career-high 18.2 points and 6.2 assists per game and playing more minutes than ever before.
It culminated in leading the Liberty to the WNBA Finals and the gateway to the franchise's pinnacle. Following last season's loss, New York, one of the WNBA's original teams, is in position to win its first championship when it faces the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 on Thursday.
“It was really rewarding to see my true self come out,” Ionescu said.
Those who know Ionescu best will not be surprised that she lived at the gym during the winter and spring. As a high school sophomore in Orinda, Calif., on her way to becoming one of the nation's top recruits, her coach handed her the keys to the school's gymnasium. She practiced there so late into the night that the principal told the Miramonte High School janitor to “leave her alone and let her shoot,” coach Kelly Sopak said.
When coach Kelly Graves recruited Ionescu to Oregon State, he told her the school's practice facility was open to players 24/7, but she said that wasn't necessarily true. I understood immediately. Ionescu was kicked out of the facility by security on her first night on campus, the first of many times throughout her college career. “She was the only player I ever got kicked out of the practice facility,” Graves said.
That work ethic was crucial, as Ionescu's storied entry into the WNBA was quickly marred by injuries. Ionescu was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, but suffered a severe ankle sprain in his third WNBA game and missed the remainder of his rookie season. The ankle pain remained throughout the 2021 season, and it wasn't until the 2022 season that she announced it was fully healed. Still, the injury haunted her, and she later recalled her “dark days.” Finishing the entire season healthy was a goal, as was winning a championship.
“She's just competing with herself,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said.
When Liberty reconvened in the spring, assistant coach Olaf Lange said he immediately noticed “there were flashes in training camp.” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello noted Ionescu's improved explosiveness.
By his 14th game, Ionescu had made more floaters than he had in all of 2023, according to Synergy Sports. Heading into the finals, 37.2 percent of her shot attempts were on runners or at the rim, up from 26.3 percent last year. “I feel like when she's that aggressive, it opens things up for other guys,” Liberty teammate Brianna Stewart said.
Stewart and Jonquel Jones are New York's only players with MVP awards on their resumes, but Ionescu is likely the team's driving force. Ace coach Becky Hammon said the 5-foot-11 guard “pushed (New York) because of her pace, her ability to read, and her ability to put Dillence in different dilemmas.” Hamon called her Liberty's “serpent head.”
“I love her shot and everything she brings to the game. I think just her finishing around the rim has improved a little bit,” Hammon said. “When you get really, really good players, it's hard for them to get even better.”
That's why Vegas especially tried to shut her down in Game 3 (Ionescu's four points were the second fewest of the season). The aces believed that if they stopped Ionescu, they could return to the semifinals. Then Game 4 happened. Ionescu scored 12 points in the first quarter and ended up scoring a team-high 22 points, closing the door on the Aces' comeback.
Stopping Ionescu consistently this season has proven difficult not only statistically, but also because she is playing with a newfound confidence. “Early in her career, when she felt the crowd, I sometimes thought she just wanted to make a play and force the issue,” Lange said. “Recently, she's been getting her own way.”
Sopak watches Ionescu in the postseason in New York and is constantly plagued by flashbacks. He remembered when she hit a late runner against the glass at a middle school game. It was very reminiscent of A'ja Wilson's shot in the final seconds of Game 2 against the New York Aces. With 11.6 seconds left and Liberty leading by just one point, Ionescu approached the free-throw line looking to seal the victory. But she missed the first free throw, Sopak said from her home in California. Mary's – Stockton. ”
That meaning goes back to Ionescu's freshman year in high school when he was fouled and headed to the line for a one-on-one against a game Sopak said was a top-10 program. She missed the front end and Miramonte lost by one point. This defeat motivated Ionescu to avoid being in that position again.
“You can’t sugar coat Sabrina,” Sopak said. He said he told her after the game: If you lose the game and are not willing to accept the result, you will never win. ”
Ionescu doesn't shy away from important moments. That's why there was no doubt that Seopak would make the second free throw. She values winning matches as well as avoiding losing matches. “She hasn't proven anything anymore,” Sopak said.
Over the past three weeks, Ionescu has disparaged Spike Lee, rolled into Carmelo Anthony's lap and sang with Alicia Keys. She pumped her fist and waved after making a 3-pointer to energize the Barclays Center crowd and ice a playoff victory at the free-throw line.
Amid all the fanfare and victory, Ionescu's drive was clear. After tying New York's franchise playoff record with 36 points in a first-round series against the Atlanta Dream, she sat in the corner of the Liberty locker room and took a rare breather.
“Good for you,” Ionescu told his teammates as he adjusted his headband. “This game wasn't perfect, but we played hard. We played hard for 40 minutes, and little by little we made it.”
Sabrina Ionescu: “Spike Lee gave me a high five…At that moment, it felt like New York was injected into my veins. I was like, 'This is a win for us.' did. ”pic.twitter.com/bnevwhIz0Z
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) September 25, 2024
Healthy, focused and confident, Ionescu said she feels more comfortable speaking up and expressing herself. “This year, people have been able to see a little bit of my personality, a little bit of who I am,” she said. “Because I've become more confident in myself.”
She is in the coach's ear about what she can do to score and how she wants to help her teammates succeed. At a recent practice, she urged her staff to repeat off-field plays without taking water breaks. Every minute and every drill counts.
Winning the ring is the most important thing, she said. She talked about what a win would feel like for a Liberty franchise that has lost in its previous five Finals appearances and for New York City, which has never won a championship, and how it would feel for her teammates. He said he has been thinking about what it means. First basketball title since the 1970s.
“Ever since we lost last year, I was thinking about winning,” Ionescu said.
(Illustration: Daniel Goldfarb / The Athletic;Top photo of Sabrina Ionescu: Evan Yu/NBAE, Mitchell Leff/Getty)