NEW YORK (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu avoided a significant injury after rolling her left ankle in the New York Liberty's preseason win over the Connecticut Sun over the weekend.
The team said Monday that she'll be re-evaluated in two weeks, putting her out for the team's regular-season debut on Friday against Connecticut. Ionescu had an MRI that revealed no major injury to the ankle, which was the same one she hurt her rookie season that sidelined her for the remainder of the year after only three games in 2020.
The star guard landed awkwardly on Sunday during a drive to the basket and rolled the ankle early in the third quarter at Connecticut. She appeared to get her feet tangled with the Sun's Diamond Miller as she went up for a reverse layup.
Sabrina Ionescu exited the preseason game against the Sun in the third quarter after this play.
— espnW (@espnW) May 4, 2026
Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said after the win that Ionescu had rolled her left ankle and will have an MRI on Monday. pic.twitter.com/N1gwOeNCFa
Ionescu stayed down for a few seconds before getting up and waving toward New York's bench on the other side of the court. She walked with a slight limp back to the locker room. She was seen in a walking boot after the game.
“Obviously wasn’t good to see,” Liberty forward Jonquel Jones said. “I was able to check in with our (physical therapist) and stuff during the game to make sure she’s OK."
Ionescu had six points in just under 16 minutes of play. She was 2 for 8 from the field.
Breanna Stewart said she talked with Ionescu after the game and said her teammate was in “good spirits.”
Ionescu played in 38 games last season for New York, averaging 18.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds.
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