8:09 PM ET
CloseMechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, ladiess college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel started covering womens basketball in 1984, and has actually been with ESPN because 1996.
Mechelle VoepelESPN.com
Sabrina Ionescu, the star New York Liberty novice taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft, rolled her left ankle when she stepped on the foot of Atlantas Betnijah Laney while bringing the ball upcourt Friday and did not return.
She was later sent out to a hospital in the Bradenton, Florida, area. ESPNs Holly Rowe reported that X-rays and an MRI were taken, and Ionescu was awaiting the results
” I feel in ones bones [its] a sprain, and shes getting it looked at today,” Liberty coach Walt Hopkins stated after his groups 84-78 loss.
Hopkins included that Liberty basic supervisor Jonathan Kolb was with Ionescu.
1 RelatedWNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who is in the league bubble, stated during a teleconference July 22 that a so-called “clean passage” had been established ahead of time as part of the procedure relating to an injury that may require an X-ray or an MRI. Hence, a gamer could go to the hospital to get care there without needing to then return into quarantine when going back to the WNBAs school.
Ionescu was 4-of-5 from the field for 10 points, with one help and one rebound, before she suffered the injury with 5 minutes, 10 seconds left in the 2nd quarter. Friday marked the 3rd game of her novice season, and she was coming off a 33-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist performance in Wednesdays loss to Dallas.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James wanted her well on social networks.
Ouch !! @sabrina_i20 Get healthy as quickly as possible!. Health is wealth– LeBron James (@KingJames) July 31, 2020
” Were gon na have to huddle up and talk about it,” Hopkins said. “Theres not a lot of ready-to-go options hanging around. See if we can get Kia right, and ideally its not major with Sabrina.”
The Liberty currently lacked guard Kia Nurse, who sprained her left ankle in New Yorks opener Saturday. She went back to play 22 minutes on Wednesday however was out Friday.
Rookie guard Jazmine Jones, who played her first video game of the season Wednesday after recuperating from an ankle sprain, had 20 indicate lead the Liberty, and Layshia Clarendon had 16. Jones, the No. 12 choice out of Louisville, got time at point player Friday, a position she stated she had not played given that high school.
With Ionescu and Nurse hurt, and Asia Durr out this season on a medical exemption, the Libertys just other true guards are Jones and Clarendon.
” Were gon na need to gather up and discuss it,” Hopkins stated. “Theres not a great deal of ready-to-go choices hanging around. See if we can get Kia right, and hopefully its not major with Sabrina.”
Ionescu missed out on four video games her freshman season at Oregon however played every game as a sophomore, junior and senior for the Ducks. She had an NCAA-record 26 triple-doubles in her career and was the consensus national gamer of the year as a senior when she averaged 17.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds.
The Liberty dropped to 0-3 and next play Sunday vs. Phoenix (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Jones, among seven Liberty rookies along with Ionescu, said the group missed her however kept battling.
” She does a lot of on-court training when shes playing,” Jones said of Ionescu. “Thats how resilient we are– understanding that we could have quit when Sabrina went down, however somebody had to step up.”
