Sabrina Ionescu Sidelined Again as New York Liberty Face Golden State Valkyries

Sabrina Ionescu will miss her third consecutive game Tuesday night when the New York Liberty visit the Golden State Valkyries, head coach Sandy Brondello confirmed pregame.

Brondello said Ionescu, who has been managing a toe injury on her left foot, “had a good workout yesterday, but not good enough to go.” She added she is hopeful the All-Star guard will be available Friday. Forward Nyara Sabally will warm up and dress, but she is not expected to play.

Brondello acknowledged the added disappointment of Ionescu missing the game in her hometown.

“It’s unfortunate Sabrina can’t play tonight in front of her hometown crowd,” Brondello said. “Sabrina has done so much all over the country, but this is where it all began for her. She’s from the Bay Area, and for little girls to grow up and see what she’s done.”

Ionescu has averaged 18.8 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in 36 games this season. Over her last five appearances before being sidelined, she posted 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 32.4 minutes per game.

New York Liberty Seek Season Sweep

The Liberty (24-16) will look to complete a four-game sweep of Golden State in the season series after surviving close calls in their last two meetings.

New York cruised in a 95-67 blowout in May, but narrowly escaped in the rematch two days later, closing on a 6-0 run to win 82-77. In June, Ionescu sealed an 81-78 victory in San Francisco by scoring seven of the game’s final 10 points at the free throw line, salvaging an otherwise cold shooting night.

The defending WNBA champions enter Tuesday’s matchup reeling after an 80-63 loss at Phoenix on Saturday to open a three-game road trip. The setback, played without Ionescu, dropped the Liberty into fifth place in the standings.

“Any of the things that we’ve done (against Phoenix), and honestly, for a while, it’s not going to get us to where we want to be,” Breanna Stewart said after the defeat. “This is not championship-level basketball at this point, and everybody needs to recognize that. We need to get there.”

Golden State Valkyries Riding Momentum

Golden State (playing without three of its top five scorers) enters Tuesday with momentum after dominant home wins over Washington and Indiana. Veronica Burton spearheaded the effort with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 18 assists across the two games, including 13 assists in Sunday’s win over the Fever.

Burton has been limited against the Liberty this season, averaging 7.3 points on 7-for-28 shooting in three meetings. Slowing her again will be a focus for New York’s defense.

Despite repeated stoppages for clock malfunctions in Sunday’s game, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase credited the sellout home crowd — the franchise’s 19th straight — for helping maintain energy.

“That’s just great that our crowd doesn’t just get frustrated. They don’t leave. They stay behind us,” Nakase said. “Credit to our fans for just keeping it lively, keeping it entertaining. We want to entertain people, and we want to have almost like a party.”

Tipoff from Chase Center is set for 9 p.m. CT.

More WNBA News & Rumors

• WNBA News: Dallas Wings Re-Sign Serena Sundell to Second Seven-Day Hardship Contract
• WNBA News: Aziaha James Nears Injury Return as Christyn Williams Completes Hardship Deal With Dallas Wings
• WNBA News: Dallas Wings Lose Luisa Geiselsöder for Season, Sign Ajae Petty to Hardship Deal
• WNBA News: Indiana Fever Star Caitlin Clark Hasn’t Started Practices With Contact Yet