With the Liberty kicking off their postseason on Friday, star guard Sabrina Ionescu delivered a strong statement dismissing those who believe the high-powered title contender isn’t the best basketball team in New York City.
Ahead of the No. 2 seed Liberty’s first-round opener against the seven-seeded Mystics, Ionescu fielded a question asking what she’d say to people who aren’t on the Liberty’s bandwagon and have, instead, chosen to label New York’s pro sports teams as “depressing,” based on recent headlines.
The doom and gloom surrounding other N.Y. franchises, such as the Jets and Yankees, has received much publicity around the city, but in Ionescu’s eyes, the Liberty not only deserve more attention but they’ve been wrongfully overlooked and underrated compared to their NBA counterparts, the Knicks and Nets.
“I’ve seen it,” Ionescu began. “I’ve kept quiet because I feel like we’re gonna let our work from here on out do the talking and we’ll be able to shut up those people on [X] that have anything to say about what’s been going on with New York sports.
“Because, as far as I’m concerned, we’ve been playing the best basketball that’s been played in New York City for a very long time and whether people recognize it or not, they will in the next couple weeks. So, I’m excited to see what they have to say then.”
While Ionescu’s mic drop may ruffle a few feathers, the Liberty, to the two-time All-Star’s point, certainly has a strong, possibly undeniable, case as NYC’s best b-ball team.
"As far as I'm concerned, we've been playing the best basketball that's been played in New York City for a very long time."
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 15, 2023
Sabrina on the Liberty 🗣️
(via @SNYLiberty, @SNYtv) pic.twitter.com/WNoKVit9wb
Led by star trio Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, the Liberty (32–8) finished the regular season with the WNBA’s second-best record, behind only the reigning champion Aces (34–6). N.Y. beat Las Vegas in three of five meetings this season, including for the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup in August.
Meanwhile, the Knicks (47–35) and Nets (45–37), the East’s No. 5 and 6 seeds in 2023, respectively, continued over a decade of underwhelming postseason runs following second- and first-round playoff exits.
As Ionescu and the Liberty seek the club’s first WNBA title, a dominant run, and championship, would make them far and away the most successful basketball team in the Big Apple in recent years. But, until then, it’ll be interesting to see if the Liberty can keep backing up Ionescu’s claim and eventually bring NYC some more hardware.
