It was a highly contested game between the New York Liberty and the Chicago Sky that ended in a 96-95 win for the Liberty. But before the game, star guard Sabrina Ionescu talked about her return to the court after she sustained a back injury.

Ionescu missed the May 24 loss to Dallas (91-76). She returned on June 14 against Washington (86-64 win). She has now spoken about her return to the court.

"Yeah, it felt amazing," Ionescu said. "Obviously, it's been a long month for me personally, but I think it taught me a lot. I was able to pour into my teammates and continue to build, be in practice, and continue to trip away. So it felt really good just to be able to be out there with them, and grind out a win."

Ionescu, the 2024 WNBA champion, talked about how, during her time out, she gradually built herself up and continued practicing.

During her absence, Ionescu traveled with the team and practiced daily. Her first win back, against Washington, validated that preparation.'

Ionescu has only played three games this season, against the Wings, the Mystics, and the Sky.

The return marked an understandably quiet offensive return for the superstar. During her comeback game against the Mystics, she scored five points, three assists, and three rebounds, and also reached 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists in 183 games.

She also scored 10 points, dished out an assist, and had three rebounds against the Sky on Wednesday, June 17.

Although she is just returning from the injury, there is still a stark contrast to her blistering pre-injury regular-season baseline of 18.2 points and 6.2 assists per game.

But how has the Liberty been doing in her absence this season?

The Liberty Shine Amid Their Star Sabrina Ionescu Being Out

Although the Liberty were missing their star guard, they have been a rock-solid side this season, holding an 11-4 record and going on an eight-game winning streak.

Prior to Sabrina Ionescu's injury, New York heavily relied on high-volume transition scoring. In her absence, the roster adapted by leaning into a highly disciplined half-court identity.

The Liberty have been great on offense, averaging 88.9 points per game so far. They have also averaged 21.1 assists and 35.8 rebounds per game, consistently ranking in the top five in these categories this season.

On the defensive end, the Liberty have allowed only 82.1 points per game. They also rank among the best teams in the league this season, with a defensive rating of 102.2.

With Ionescu officially back in the backcourt rotation, the New York Liberty are uniquely positioned to maximize their upcoming playoff trajectory.

The Liberty will play the Mystics again on Friday, June 19. They have beaten the Mystics twice already this season, 98-93 in overtime on June 10 and 86-64 on June 14.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Koushik Biswas