EUGENE, Ore. — Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu eagerly anticipates showcasing her skills during her much-awaited return to Matthew Knight Arena on Monday night.
“Tomorrow will be really exciting to be back in front of a sellout crowd here, a lot of good energy and vibes and so I know for us, everyone’s going to want to play better for me and for Nyara [Sabally] because we’re back here,” Ionescu shared with The Post on Sunday. “Playing in front of our fans, you aim to deliver an excellent performance on the court. And I know for me, it will be my last time playing at Matt Knight, so I want to ensure I’m soaking in the moment.”
But even with all the fun Ionescu and Sabally have had showing the Liberty their old stomping ground this weekend, this is a business trip.
Monday’s preseason finale against the Toyota Antelopes of the Women’s Japan Basketball League represents the Liberty’s last opportunity for public refinement against opponents before New York’s season opener on Saturday against the Las Vegas Aces.
Preseason basketball games are like a trial run. It’s a chance for players to build chemistry with one another and to test out different lineups.
The end results obviously don’t hold any weight on how the team’s season may play out.
Last season, the Chicago Sky pummeled the Liberty by 48 points in the preseason and New York went on to win its first WNBA title.
So that’s why no one within the Liberty was sweating Friday’s preseason loss against the Sun on Friday night.
“We really never get too high or too low over preseason games,” Ionescu said. “It’s just a new team, a lot of new faces, trying to figure [each other] out.”
Friday wasn’t the full picture of the Liberty.
Breanna Stewart watched the preseason game from the bench and Leonie Fiebich was gearing up for the Spanish League Finals with Valencia.
Coach Sandy Brondello also deliberately limited some other veterans’ playing time, including Ionescu and Natasha Cloud, who sat out the second half.
But Monday should give the Liberty a chance to improve on the sloppy turnovers and defensive mishaps that stalled them in their preseason opener.
It’ll also be worth watching the budding chemistry between Cloud and Ionescu.
“We’re going to continue to grow. I want her job to be easier,” Cloud said of Ionescu. “I want her to be off the ball and be able to make some big plays and easy shots, so we’re just going to continue to get better but I thought tonight was a good first outing for us but we do have to be better when teams are going to press the full court of getting that ball out and still facilitating our offense whether the ball is in her hand or not.”
After Monday, general manager Jonathan Kolb will have some decisions to make by the end of the week.
The Liberty will be able to carry 12 players on the roster this season after they suspend Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s contract.
Right now, they have 14 players on their preseason roster. Monday may be the last chance for Jaylyn Sherrod, Esmery Martinez, Isabelle Harrison and Leaonna Odom to show why they deserve one of the final roster spots.
Fiebich was crowned a Spanish League champion Sunday after helping Valencia to a 71-63 win against Zaragoza.
Fiebich should return to Brooklyn in the near future. The hope is that she’ll be at Saturday’s ring ceremony before the season opener.
Eugene, Ore., mayor Kaarin Knudson proclaimed Monday to be Sabrina Ionescu Day in the Liberty star’s college town.
Knudson surprised Ionescu with the news after Sunday’s practice.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to have a role model like Sabrina,” Knudson said. “She’s done so much work through her [SI20 Foundation] to make sure that all kids have an opportunity to play and have access to physical activity. And that’s where the beginning of any extraordinary career begins … with an opportunity and a love of the game.”
