New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will sit out the 2026 WNBA season opener after hurting a left ankle and foot in preseason. The injury is not viewed as severe, but the Liberty will start the campaign without one of the team’s main offensive leaders.
Ionescu has been an All-Star and All-WNBA Second Team pick in each of the past four seasons, underlining a central role in New York’s backcourt. Across 38 games last season, Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds, while hitting 2.1 three-pointers per game, ranking ninth in the league.
The setback happened in a preseason matchup against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, during a drive to the basket. Ionescu came down awkwardly on the left side, with the ankle and foot appearing
to twist after contact. The foot seemed to tangle with Connecticut’s Diamond Miller as Ionescu attacked the rim.
An MRI carried out on Monday showed no major damage to the joint, offering relief for New York. However, the Liberty confirmed Ionescu will be checked again in two weeks. That schedule rules Ionescu out of Friday’s season opener against Connecticut, and revives memories of a left ankle injury suffered as a rookie in 2020.
BREAKING: Sabrina Ionescu is expected to miss at least two weeks after rolling her left ankle in the Liberty's preseason game vs. the Sun, per @madkenney. An MRI shows Ionescu avoided significant injury, and she will be re-evaluated in two weeks. pic.twitter.com/yjqYGFXKWqYahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 4, 2026
The Liberty, who finished 27-17 last year and shared the league’s fourth-best record with the Phoenix Mercury, will hope the guard’s absence is brief. Ionescu previously guided New York to the 2024 WNBA championship, so the team’s prospects this season remain closely tied to Ionescu’s health and availability.
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