The New York Liberty extended guard Sabrina Ionescu through the 2025 season, the team announced Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Ionescu, 25, was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. In May 2022, the Liberty exercised their fourth-year team option to extend Ionescu’s rookie deal through the 2023 season.
- She earned her first All-Star nod last season, Ionescu’s first fully healthy campaign, as she averaged 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
- New York will begin its quest for the team’s first league title when the 2023 season begins Friday after making huge additions in the offseason. The Liberty brought in former MVPs Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, as well as four-time All-Star Courtney Vandersloot.
Multi-Year Extension ✅ The New York Liberty has signed All-Star guard, @sabrina_i20, to an extension through the 2025 season.🗽 pic.twitter.com/2yIzrmrHT8
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 15, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Why now?
The Liberty had a splashy free agency period, but the goal is to build something sustainable in New York. Stewart, Jones and Betnijah Laney will all be unrestricted free agents in 2024, so getting Ionescu’s new contract out of the way helps the Liberty get ahead on their offseason business.
Ionescu has been a…
