Sabrina Ionescu is set to return just in time for the New York Liberty.
Coming off their worst loss of the season, a 87-70 defeat to the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday, the Liberty are inching toward whole, with Ionescu, sidelined since preseason with a foot injury, expected to make her 2026 season debut.
Her on-court arrival follows that of Satou Sabally, the Liberty’s highest-profile offseason addition who played for the first time on Thursday. Sabally saw 16 minutes of action, going 2-for-8 from the field and scoring five points.
Leonie Fiebich, the other missing starter from New York’s 2024 title-winning squad, is now in Brooklyn after completing her season with Valencia Basket in Spain. She will not play Sunday, while Betnijah Laney-Hamilton remains out to due to personal reasons.
Still, Sunday is set to be the closest New York has been to full strength this season, when they will host another team angling for a bounceback performance in the Dallas Wings (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC).
After two-straight wins that suggested the Wings had responded positively to head coach Jose Fernandez’s public truth telling, the team struggled to put to ball in the basket in Atlanta on Friday night, losing to the Dream for the second time this season.
How do you think Ionescu’s return will effect the Liberty? Will Sabrina instantly aid the team, or will her addition back into the lineup cause an uncomfortable adjustment period? And, what about Satou? What would you like to see from her?
I’m interested in how Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco manages his backcourt rotation with Ionescu now available. Marine Johannès has been playing the best basketball of her WNBA career, while Pauline Astier has been a rookie revelation. Prior to Thursday night, the Liberty offense hadn’t been a problem, scoring at least 96 points in their other four games in large part due to Johannès’ 3-point bombing and Astier’s efficient finishing. Sabrina’s scoring sauce should only be additive, injecting more flavor into the Liberty attack.
But if her shot is off as she shakes off the rust, will DeMarco be bold enough to sit Sab in favor of the players who have been succeeding in her stead? And while three-guard looks with the trio could be a fun experiment on the offensive end, that’s an unsustainable mix defensively. DeMarco might have some tough decisions.
Those choices will come as the team also navigates Sabally’s integration. On a new team without any live-game reps since the 2025 WNBA Finals, it is, understandably, going to take time for Satou to find her groove. Yet, for a team with title aspirations, the adjustment period still needs to come with wins, not losses.
On the Dallas side, do you expect Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale to rediscover their scoring strokes after off nights in Atlanta? Is it time for Awak Kueir to be more empowered? What other developments would give you confidence in the Wings’ ability to win consistently?
Can PHX establish positive momentum in ATL?
Maybe even more than the Liberty or Wings, the Phoenix Mercury are in need of a good win, having lost two-straight home games. They’ll have to earn it in Atlanta, a task that profiles as difficult (3 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass).
Last season, the Dream swept all four matchups with the Mercury. This year’s Dream, with Angel Reese in the fold, projects as an even more challenging matchup for a Mercury team without trusted size. Plus, the Mercury don’t the personnel, nor “The Permission,” to slow down a Rhyne Howard who is realizing all her potential.
Can Phoenix find the magic they have not been able to muster since their opening day drubbing of the Las Vegas Aces and escape Atlanta with a win? Who needs to step up for the Mercury to prevent this from becoming another Dream domination?
Monique Akoa Makani, listed as questionable to make her season debut on Sunday after completing her season with Tango Bourges Basket, could provide the Mercury with the jolt they need.
Can DC’s rookies provide enough support for their Big 3 in Seattle?
The Washington Mystics will be in Seattle on Sunday afternoon, searching for a win against the Storm (6 p.m. ET, WNBA League).
Washington has been off since their dud in Dallas on Monday night. That game illustrated the tenuousness of their current build. While the Mystics have Big 3 of Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin, as Beckett Harrison wrote last week, they also have big weaknesses that are exacerbated by their youthful, inexperienced depth.
If Soni, Kiki and Kira are not on, as was the case in Dallas, the Mystics lack the floor-leveling ball handling, shooting and defense that can prevent a game from going sideways.
A contest against a weaker Seattle side will possibly give some of the Mystics’ unproven rookies a chance to inspire more confidence in their play and potential.
Of all Washington’s youngsters (or, according to Lauren Betts, “Young Hos”), who would you like to see head coach Sydney Johnson give extended minutes? Do you trust Georgia Amoore to eventually establish herself as a starting point guard? Or, do you have more hope for Rori Harmon? Can Cotie McMahon be a game changer? And, what does Betts need to show?
The Mystics rookies might be greeted by an additional Storm rookie, as No. 3 overall pick Awa Fam is likely to make her WNBA debut on Sunday.
Although Dominique Malonga remains in concussion protocol, the prospect of Fam playing with Flau’jae Johnson, fresh off her best game of the season, should spark tons of excitement for Storm fans.
What are your expectations for Fam? With some flashes of promise, will she make the Mystics ponder what could have been had they only jumped one pick higher in the 2026 WNBA Draft?
