Well, 2020 strikes again.
As you likely heard, Sabrina Ionescu left Friday’s loss to the Atlanta Dream, suffering an injury with less than six minutes left in the first half. The New York Liberty rookie is expected to miss some time as a result.
Ionescu will miss about a month with a Grade 3 ankle sprain, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. X-rays of her ankle returned negative and showed no fracture.
WNBA No. 1 pick Sabrina Ionescu is expected to miss approximately one month with a Grade 3 left ankle sprain and will continue to be re-evaluated, source tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. https://t.co/bnuHGN7uIs
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 1, 2020
The Liberty says the rookie “is still being evaluated by physicians” and expected next steps will be revealed “in the coming days.”
INJURY UPDATE: Sabrina Ionescu is still being evaluated by physicians. Next steps will be determined in the coming days. We will continue to keep everyone updated as new information is shared.
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 1, 2020
This certainly is a major blow for both the Liberty and the WNBA. Ionescu was New York’s most impactful player in its first three games, averaging 18.3 points, 4.7 assists and four rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game. That’s an impressive feat for a rookie, though it’ll be on hold for the next month or so.