Sabrina Ionescu Focused on Strong Finish Despite Injury-Plagued Season

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu is determined to finish the 2026 season strong, despite facing significant injury setbacks and a statistical dip from her usual performance.

Ionescu has missed 13 games this season due to a lingering back issue and a prior foot injury. This has impacted her scoring average, which is the second lowest of her career at 15.1 points per game, and her three-point shooting percentage has remained below 30 percent for the second consecutive year.

"I've always been the person that's found a way through difficulties and hard times," Ionescu told The Post. She views the remainder of the season and the upcoming playoffs as an opportunity to redefine her year. "It's an opportunity to finish off really strong and kind of know that I'm good," Ionescu said. "I don't want to go into an offseason just thinking like, ‘Yeah, it sucks because I was hurt and it is what it is.’ But I think more knowing that there's an opportunity to kind of rewrite this year for myself personally and the injury that I had but knowing that I can make it a lot smoother with winning."

While acknowledging the difficulties of this season, Ionescu draws perspective from her rookie year, when she suffered a season-ending ankle sprain just four games into her career. That experience, which extended into her 2021 season and affected her quickness and burst, has provided a foundation for managing this year's challenges. "If I wouldn't have gone through that, this would have felt devastating for me," she stated. "This year would have felt devastating not having missed as much as I did, which is the most I've missed since I was out when I was early on my journey."

During the recent FIBA World Cup break, Ionescu underwent more intensive treatment and rehabilitation. In the Liberty's first game back after the break, she contributed 17 points, six assists, and three steals, shooting 3-for-9 from beyond the arc.

"It's about just feeling good and doing what I can to be healthy for when it matters the most," Ionescu said, "and obviously that's this point in the year."

Liberty coach Chris DeMarco expressed confidence in his star player, noting her ability to perform when it counts. "She's had her ups and downs, but when it's winning time, she continues to produce," DeMarco said. "We need her at her best to get to where we want to go."