Tag: Ruthy Hebard

Sabrina Ionescu and New York Liberty eliminated from WNBA playoffs Tuesday

Former Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty were eliminated by the Chicago Sky in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.

After a resounding victory in Game 1, Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty were dispatched in the next two games by the Chicago Sky, eliminating the former Oregon star from the playoffs.

New York was trailing by just three points early in the fourth quarter, and they looked primed to make a comeback and potentially eliminate the defending champions before Chicago went on a 22-7 run to close out the game, led by Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot.

Ionescu finished her final game of the season with 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

Ruthy Hebard advanced with the Sky, although she does not look like she will be part of the rotation much as the playoffs continue. She played 90 seconds in Chicago’s win over New York on Tuesday, going 0-1 from deep.

Nyara Sabally is also rostered by the Liberty, although a knee injury prevented her from suiting up as a rookie this season. She’ll add reinforcements to Ionescu’s squad as they look to make the playoffs again next season, and hopefully stave off early elimination.

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How Oregon alumni performed during first half of WNBA season

A look at how each of the four Oregon Ducks alumni performed during the first half of the 2022 WNBA season.

The 2022 WNBA season is at the artificial halfway point following last weekend’s All-Star Game festivities, which included a victory for Sabrina Ionescu in the skills challenge.

Ionescu has been far and away the most exciting Oregon Ducks alumni playing in the WNBA this season – and in fact she has been perhaps the most exciting player in the entire league.

Her first half included two triple-doubles and many other highlight reel performances, many which went viral on social media, and at 24 it is clear she is on her way to being the face of the league for years to come.

The season has not gone quite as well for Oregon’s three other alumni, mostly due to injuries for both the Sabally sisters and a decreased role for Chicago forward Ruthy Hebard.

Here is an overview of every Oregon alumni and how they did in the first half of the WNBA season:

How former Oregon Ducks performed in WNBA Week 6 action

A look at how Oregon Ducks alumni Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Ruthy Hebard performed the last week of June in the WNBA season.

We are almost exactly one week out from the WNBA All-Star Game festivities, which will take place in Chicago on July 10.

Former Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu will be in attendance, representing the New York Liberty after a ridiculously strong start to the season – notably in the early part of June when she went on a torrid, record-breaking stretch.

While she’s cooled down in recent games, she remains one of the most fun to watch and all-around talented performers in the league, and should find herself playing in the midsummer classic for years to come.

She won’t be joined by any other Oregon alumni this year, with Satou Sabally nursing injuries and missing the early part of the year while still overseas. Sabally is healthy with Dallas now, however, and she provides a big boost to this Wings squad.

Ruthy Hebard remains in a reserve role for the defending champion Chicago Sky, while Nyara Sabally remains out for the year with an injury after going No. 6 overall in the 2022 WNBA draft.

Here is a look at how the last week has gone for each Duck in the WNBA:

A look at which Oregon stars are on rosters as WNBA season tips off

Four former Oregon Ducks will begin the season on WNBA rosters, although only three will suit up in game action this season.

The WNBA season tips off on Friday evening, as the Chicago Sky look to defend their surprise championship run from last season.

The WNBA has more eyes on it than ever before, in part because of the rising interest in women’s college basketball – which has fans clamoring to see how their favorite players perform at the next level.

Unfortunately limited roster spaces, the lack of minor league developmental league, and a small number of teams has created a situation where a large chunk of players drafted don’t end up sticking onto a roster once the season begins.

This has created many very loud calls for expansion by fans, players, former players, media analysts, and coaches as the league looks to capitalize on the growing interest.

For the Oregon Ducks, while the number could (should) be higher, they are going to be represented by four different athletes during the WNBA season – although only three are going to suit up this year.

Here is a look at those four athletes, what team they play for, and what their role might look like during the 2022 campaign:

Everything we know following Oregon’s 93-26 exhibition win over St. Martin’s

Oregon women’s basketball began their season off with a bang with a 93-26 exhibition win over Division II St. Martin’s.

In the season opener for the Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team, defense ruled the day as the home team stifled Division II St. Martin’s in an exhibition victory.

Oregon has scorers up and down its roster, but it was the defensive presence that completely disrupted the Saints. It’s not every day when you see a 38-0 run to begin the game, but that was the score before St. Martin’s found a way to finally score with 5:20 remaining in the first half.

It was also the first time Oregon had the pleasure of playing in front of their fans since 2019 and the Ducks didn’t show any nerves of competing with actual people in the stands instead of cardboard cutouts.

At the end of the first quarter, the program got to welcome back Oregon legends Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard, Satou Sabally, and Minyon Moore.

Former Duck Ruthy Hebard becomes WNBA champion with Chicago Sky

Ruthy gets a ring! Oregon favorite Ruthy Hebard was part of the WNBA Finals winning Chicago Sky, defeating the Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 on Sunday.

A championship for Chicago is a championship for all of Eugene.

That’s how it felt on Sunday afternoon when the Chicago Sky beat the Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, securing their first championship in franchise history.

As a part of the team, Ruthy Hebard became the first former Oregon Duck from the historic 2017-2020 run to get a ring at the next level. The Sky drafted Hebard with the 8th overall pick in 2020.

Hebard had a limited role in the championship run, playing just three minutes per game, but her young career in the WNBA is off to a hot start with the ultimate goal achieved in just her second season. For the year, Hebard averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game.

The Sky was led by superstar Candice Parker, Allie Quigley, and Kahleah Cooper, who was eventually named Finals MVP after averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

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