Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will watch Friday’s season opener in street clothes from the sideline.
Ionescu is expected to miss at least two weeks after suffering a left foot injury in Sunday’s preseason finale against the Connecticut Sun, a team source told The Post.
We’ve got you covered on the Liberty beat
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.
tRY IT NOWFurther examination Monday, including an MRI, showed Ionescu avoided “significant injury,” the source said.
She’ll be reevaluated in two weeks.
Ionescu rolled her left ankle after attempting a reverse layup early in the third quarter. She got up of her own accord and limped straight to the locker room. The team ruled her out for the rest of the game shortly afterward.
Following the Liberty’s 79-67 win, coach Chris DeMarco confirmed Ionescu rolled her ankle. He said her outlook was “positive” but she was set for further testing.
Ionescu was seen leaving the arena with a boot on her left foot. Breanna Stewart said her teammate was in “good spirits” and is “a tough cookie.”
Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu drives by the Sun’s Charlisse Leger-Walker during a WNBA preseason game at Mohegan Sun Arena on May 3, 2026. Getty Images
Ionescu suffered a Grade 3 sprain to the same ankle that prematurely ended her rookie season in 2020. In November of that year, Ionescu had surgery to remove scar tissue that was causing irritation in her left ankle.
An injury to a star is not the way the Liberty had hoped to start this season, especially after how 2025 went.
New York was plagued by injuries last season. Jones (ankle) and Stewart (knee) each missed a month of action. Ionescu missed six games with separate neck and toe injuries. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton sat out the entire season to recover from knee surgery. Nyara Sabally was limited to 17 games due to a nagging knee injury.
Liberty guard Pauline Astier looks to pass the ball during a preseason game against the Sun on May 3, 2026. NBAE via Getty ImagesNatasha Cloud and Kennedy Burke also missed time with injuries, and Leonie Fiebich was gone for most of June to play in EuroBasket.
The absences resulted in former coach Sandy Brondello deploying 18 different starting lineups.
The Liberty went 13-2 in the 15 games Jones, Stewart and Ionescu played together last season.
With Ionescu out of commission to start the season, the Liberty could have to rely more on rookie point guard Pauline Astier, who dazzled in her preseason debut Sunday.
Astier was assertive and confident in her play. She recorded 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting with four assists (two turnovers), a steal and a block in 22 minutes.
Her chemistry with Marine Johannès was noticeable, with the Liberty outscoring the Sun by 16 points when the two French players shared the court.
“She’s special,” DeMarco said of Astier, who joined the team just last week after finishing her overseas season. “She knows the game. It’s some of the stuff you can’t teach and outside of her competitiveness, she just has a great feel for the game, and she elevates her teammates. And she’s done a really great job.”
