The New York Liberty will once again be shorthanded on Tuesday night when they face the Golden State Valkyries in a crucial game for playoff positioning.
Sabrina Ionescu will miss her third straight game with a left toe injury, head coach Sandy Brondello confirmed before the game. Brondello added that she is hopeful her guard will be able to return on Friday when the Liberty visit the Seattle Storm.
Nyara Sabally, who, like Ionescu, was listed as questionable on the injury report, will not play either. She has been out since before the All-Star break, but Brondello said she will dress and go through warmups as she nears game shape.
“Our performance staff has outlined a plan for her, and everything is going to plan,” Brondello explained. “She's progressing. Had a 2-on-2 yesterday, we'll continue to build her up. The main thing is she's feeling good, and that's great.”
As for Ionescu, who is averaging 18.8 points and 5.4 assists per game, the timing is unfortunate. The Liberty desperately need to stack wins to close the season if they want a top 4 seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They can also officially clinch a playoff berth on Tuesday with a win.
And it's unfortunate for Ionescu herself, as she is a Bay Area native.
“Sabrina has done so much all over the country but this is where it all began for her,” Brondello said. “She's from the Bay Area and for little girls to grow up and see what she's done.”
The Liberty will have their work cut out for them against the expansion Valkyries, who come into Tuesday having won three in a row and seven out of 10. A win for Golden State would bring them to within 1.5 games of the Liberty in the standings, making it possible that the defending champions could drop to the 6 seed come playoff time. A Liberty win, however, would mean they could still realistically finish as high as a tie for second.
