Sabrina Ionescu, the star guard for the New York Liberty, is navigating a challenging shooting slump as the team faces mounting losses. In the Liberty's recent 79-60 defeat to the visiting Valkyries at Barclays Center on August 27, 2026, Ionescu struggled offensively, converting only two of her twelve field goal attempts, including a 1-for-9 performance from three-point range, to finish with seven points.
The Liberty as a whole experienced shooting difficulties, collectively posting a season-low 30.2 percent from the field and making just seven of their 31 three-point attempts. Other players like Leonie Fiebich and Rebecca Allen also saw limited success from beyond the arc.
This shooting inefficiency for Ionescu is not an isolated incident but rather a continuation of a trend over the past three weeks. Despite missing one game due to a foot injury, she has taken a team-high 50 three-point shots in the Liberty's last seven games, making only eight. While acknowledging the team's disappointment with their recent performance, Ionescu expressed a personal lack of disappointment, stating, "I think we got really good looks. We just didn’t make them."
Ionescu has been managing injuries throughout the season, including a recent left foot ailment that caused her to miss a game on August 15. It remains uncertain if a lingering injury is affecting her performance.
Following their next game against Natasha Cloud and the Chicago Sky, the Liberty will have a temporary pause in their schedule for the FIBA World Cup. The WNBA season is set to resume on September 17. Ionescu, who was not selected for the U.S. roster, plans to utilize this break for training and recovery, aiming to "continue to get really healthy, take care of my body, feel good." She expressed a desire to return with "really fresh legs" for the final four regular-season games and to enter the playoffs feeling strong.
With the playoff teams already determined, the focus shifts to seeding. Thursday's loss dropped the Liberty to the eighth seed, potentially setting them up for a first-round series against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. Ionescu, however, is not focused on standings, emphasizing the team's goal to "be peaking at the right time and playing our style of basketball and feeling really good." She added that the prospect of a playoff "fresh start" is something she looks forward to, allowing them to put the regular season behind them.