New York Liberty superstar guard Sabrina Ionescu was fired up about the New York Knicks' recent comeback against the Indiana Pacers ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Basketball is alive and well in the Big Apple as the city currently has two relevant franchises competing. The Knicks are competing at this stage in the playoffs for the first time since 2000 and look to extend this series with their rival. Meanwhile, the Liberty have gotten off to an undefeated start in their first-ever WNBA title defense season.

Ionescu and company made history in 2024, winning the championship in a thrilling five-game series against the Minnesota Lynx. The Liberty currently sit at 3-0 as they look to leave the rest of the competition in the dust. While the Brooklyn Nets and Liberty share the same owner and arena, Ionescu was happy for her fellow New Yorkers' success this postseason. The three-time WNBA All-Star made that very clear, even giving a shoutout to former Net Mikal Bridges.

Like last season, the Liberty have looked like a well-oiled machine as their stars round into form

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It's been an encouraging start to the season for New York, even with Ionescu having an inefficient first few games by her standards. Natasha Cloud, who was traded to the Liberty this offseason to replace former starting point guard Courtney Vandersloot, has fit in like a glove with this franchise. The veteran point guard is averaging a staggering statline of 18.7 points, 7.7 assists, 5.7 steals, and 2.7 steals. Cloud's contributions on both ends have been phenomenal, but her defense will be even more critical late into 2025.

One of New York's weaknesses in 2024 was that it generally didn't have an elite point of attack defender. Now with players like Caitlin Clark emerging, having that area covered will be critical in the future. Cloud fills that need and is one of the main reasons this team is the favorite to repeat right now. Overall, it's a long way to the playoffs, and this team must continue to build and maintain its health. But the Liberty have played inspired so far this season, and hopefully the Knicks continue to do so on Tuesday night.