The WNBA season has been chugging along for over a month now, and the attention the league has garnered this year is unprecedented. But regardless of the spike in popularity, it’s time we look in depth at the status of the former Oregon Ducks in the W.
Today, we’re looking at Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty, but I’ll look at the other Ducks in the league over the next few days.
Through 14 games of the season, the New York Liberty look splendid, with a record of 12-2 and an eight-game running win streak. The only team in the league with a better record than New York is the Connecticut Sun at 12-1.
Leading the Liberty, of course, are point guard Sabrina Ionescu and forward Breanna Stewart. The duo is combining for 36.2 points per game this season, with Ionescu leading the team in assists and Stewart leading the team in rebounds.
Ionescu is averaging 17.6 points so far this season, but she is shooting a far lower three-point clip (34.7%) than she did in 2023 (44.8%). Ionescu is also averaging fewer rebounds per game this season than any season of her career.
There is plenty of time left this year for those numbers to turn around, and clearly, those statistical downticks haven’t hurt the Liberty. Ionescu’s three-point percentage in 2023 is an outlier in her career, so 34.7% from deep isn’t concerning.
New York’s most recent victory came on Saturday against the Las Vegas Aces, the WNBA’s reigning champions who beat the Liberty in the Finals last season. The Aces have started slow this season, but New York’s win this weekend is still important.
The Liberty have three games this week. On Tuesday, they’ll tip off against the Phoenix Mercury in Arizona, and then they’ll head back home to host the LA Sparks for games on Thursday and Saturday.
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