Sabrina Ionescu appears to be back, which is great news for her New York Liberty.
The Liberty (12-8), who are set to play host to the Minnesota Lynx (15-4) on Friday night, are coming off a win over the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game.
Ionescu, a four-time All-Star, entered this week averaging just 9.5 points in eight games of a season in which she has been slowed first by a foot injury and then back pain. However, Ionescu scored a season-high 26 points against the Aces, making 5 of 13 shots from 3-point range.
“I always have belief in myself,” Ionescu said. “An injury is not going to diminish my understanding of who I am.”
One of the keys for Ionescu in the Cup final was that she attacked the rim more, which opened up her 3-point game.
If Ionescu is truly back, New York’s starting lineup — which has been in flux all year due to a variety of injuries — has been solidified. The other components are Cup final MVP Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Leonie Fiebich and rookie point guard Pauline Astier.
Meanwhile, Minnesota has a rookie point guard of its own, Olivia Miles, who averages 18.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals. Miles, 23, has been so good that she is a near-lock for Rookie of the Year and a strong contender for league MVP.
On the other end of the experience scale is Lynx veteran Natasha Howard, 34. Howard is having a career year, shooting 61.1% from the floor, which leads the league (minimum seven shots per game). Howard also averages 17.7 points and a career-high 8.2 rebounds.
Those two players are a big reason why the Lynx have the best record in the WNBA. That top spot in the standings is shocking considering that Lynx star Napheesa Collier has missed the whole season following surgery on both of her ankles.
Collier, who finished second in MVP voting last year, returned to practice on Wednesday, although there is no target date for her to get back to playing games.
“We’re not at the end yet,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said of the comebacks of Collier and Dorka Juhasz (foot). “There’s more work to do.”
Reeve was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame last Saturday.
–Field Level Media
