After a major off season restructuring, the New York Liberty is poised to usher in a new decade with a new logo, new colors, and a new face of the team: Sabrina Ionescu. For the first time in franchise history, The New York Liberty was able to secure the first pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft Lottery.
Ionescu, the 22-year old point guard from University of Oregon comes with an impressive collegiate resume in her own regard. She is the NCAA all time leader in triple doubles, and is the only Division I basketball player, male or female- to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists in a career. Aside from being a standout college athlete, Ionescu also earned a gold medal in last summer’s Pan American Games.
The San Francisco Bay area native received the news that she was the number one draft pick via video chat surrounded by family and celebratory balloons. “I’m just blessed to be in this position that I’ve worked for my entire life,” she said. Due to the Coronavirus situation Ionescu had this to say during Friday’s WNBA Draft Simulcast. “This has definitely always been my dream, ever since I started playing basketball to be seen as a professional. So today has obviously been really special and something I have dreamed about since I was young.”
Ionescu made the decision to forgo the 2019 WNBA Draft in favor of staying with the Ducks one more season after a Final Four loss to Baylor in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, she experienced disappointment along with hundreds of other college athletes this year when they learned that the NCAA Championship Tournament had been cancelled over COVID-19 health and safety concerns. A tournament that Ionescu and the Oregon Ducks would have been a No.1 seeded team in. “I was saddened to see that we weren’t able to make the tournament, but I do understand that there are bigger issues that we’re facing in society today,” she said in a draft day interview with ESPN.
Although she hasn’t even spent a day practicing on a WNBA court yet, the bar for Ionescu has already been set high. Her Liberty jersey has already sold out and been restocked in a matter of days, and she has already signed a coveted deal with Nike. The athletic giant announced the partnership via twitter: “You built a program. You broke records. You won awards. You still have unfinished business. You’re ready to move the game forward, and now your name has been called. So, what’s next? You’ll show us.” Nike tweeted.
Ionescu is joined by fellow first round draft picks forward Megan Walker UConn, guard Jazmine Jones Louisville. Rounding out the Liberty’s new crop of players are second round choices forward Kylee Shook Louisville and forward Leaonna Odom Duke.
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