New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu got brutally honest on Caitlin Clark's injuries in 2025. The superstar point guards were set to be two of the headliners this upcoming weekend in Indiana, facing off in the three-point shooting contest in a celebratory moment for the league and state of women's basketball overall this WNBA All-Star Weekend. Unfortunately, it has been a trying season so far for Clark, as she has battled injuries throughout the year. And the 23-year-old's latest health setback will now keep her out of the weekend festivities in her home arena.
Ionescu understands the kind of disappointment her Eastern Conference compatriot is going through and detailed the communication between her and Clark throughout this trying time in a recent interview.
“Obviously, we’re good friends. I’ve been able to talk to her a lot through this process. Honestly, I've experienced something similar in my career. My first year, I didn’t play due to injury, and then in my second year, I had three to four soft tissue injuries that I was dealing with. You look back and it’s a blessing in disguise because you’re able to learn and grow, and you come to understand that it’s all part of your journey, and you just have to continue to figure out what you need for a professional career.
So I've just been trying to be that soundboard for her and voice, and having gone through something similar, and knowing that it’s really unfortunate we don’t have her. She means a lot more to the game than just showing up and playing, and I think you’re able to see that with just the excitement in Indy right now, regardless of if she’s playing or not.”
Ionescu is putting together another productive season in what's starting to look like a future Hall of Fame career. The 27-year-old is in the middle of her first WNBA title defense after leading the Liberty to their first championship in 2024. While New York got off to a stellar, undefeated start in 2025, the team has come back down to earth since losing its first game. The defending champs are now 15-6 and 3.5 games behind the Minnesota Lynx for the first seed. Despite the midseason lull, the Liberty still cannot be discouraged by their current standing in the league hierarchy.
Overall, though, Ionescu's attention will be solely focused on this weekend for now. The four-time All-Star has put on a shooting clinic before during the three-point shootout and will look to win this competition for the second time in three years. After these next few days, it's all about the road to a repeat for Sabrina. And Clark could be a huge reason why the Liberty do not return to the WNBA Finals.