Ionescu’s Shooting Struggles Persist as Liberty Fall to Valkyries Amid Playoff Positioning Concerns

Sabrina Ionescu endured a difficult outing in the Liberty’s 79-60 defeat to the Valkyries at Barclays Center, extending a shooting slump that has persisted for several weeks.

Ionescu converted just 2 of 12 field-goal attempts, including 1 of 9 from three-point range, finishing with seven points. She was not alone in her struggles; Leonie Fiebich went 1-for-6 from beyond the arc, while Rebecca Allen was 1-for-4. Collectively, New York shot a season-low 30.2 percent from the floor and a dismal 7-for-31 from distance.

However, Ionescu’s difficulties extend beyond a single off night. Over the Liberty’s previous seven games, she has attempted a team-high 50 three-pointers despite missing one contest with a left foot injury. She has connected on only eight of those attempts, ranking fourth on the team in made threes during that span.

Ionescu was not asked directly about her slump following the loss. While Allen expressed disappointment with the team’s performance, Ionescu maintained she was not “personally disappointed.”

“I think we got really good looks,” she said. “We just didn’t make them.”

Ionescu has contended with various injuries this season, most recently sitting out the Liberty’s Aug. 15 game in Connecticut due to a left foot issue. It remains unclear whether a lingering ailment is affecting her shot, though a reset appears beneficial.

Following Saturday’s matchup against Natasha Cloud and the Chicago Sky, the Liberty will pause for the FIBA World Cup break. The WNBA season resumes Sept. 17. Ionescu, who was omitted from the U.S. national team roster, intends to use the hiatus to train and “continue to get really healthy, take care of my body, feel good.”

“Hopefully, can have really fresh legs, can feel really good and in rhythm come the last four games of the regular season,” she said. “And then start the playoffs feeling good.”

The eight playoff qualifiers are set, though seeding remains undecided. Thursday’s loss dropped New York to the eighth seed, which would pair them with the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-three first-round series. Ionescu said she avoids monitoring the standings because the outcome is beyond the team’s control, but she welcomes the clean slate the postseason provides.

“We’ve never talked about it as a team, where we fall,” she said. “We understand we got to be peaking at the right time and playing our style of basketball and feeling really good, and I think knowing you can kind of have a fresh start when the playoffs come and put everything behind you in the regular season.”

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