Sabrina Ionescu was back for the New York Liberty Sunday after missing 12 of the team’s first 13 games with ankle and back injuries.
She didn’t start and didn’t to much on offense. But it was a welcome sight in New York as the Liberty secured a 86-64 Commissioners’ Cup win over the Washington Mystics despite her limited output.
Ionescu, a four-time All-Star and All-WNBA selection, missed the first five games of the season with a left ankle injury. She returned for a 91-76 loss to the Dallas Wings on May 24, then missed seven games with back soreness before her return to the court on Sunday.
Fortunately for the Liberty, they went 6-1 during that seven-game stint and improved to 10-4 on Sunday while picking up a Commissioner’s Cup win.
The Liberty previously cleared Ionescu to return against Washington, but she wasn’t in the starting lineup when the ball was tipped. Instead, she was eased back into the lineup off the bench and entered the game for the first time with 5:32 remaining in the first quarter. Ionescu was greeted with a loud ovation from the Barclays Center crowd.