Sabrina Ionescu was ruled out Saturday for the Liberty’s game against the Fever, and the back soreness that had been building around her status kept her out for a fourth straight game. She had been a full participant in Friday’s practice and entered the day listed as questionable, but the team still took her off the board before tipoff.
The change came on a day when the Liberty needed clarity. Ionescu’s availability had become the central pregame question because she had already played in only one game this season, missing the first two weeks with a left foot injury before the back issue flared again after her March 24 season debut against the Wings. The injury note was brief, but the impact was not: one of New York’s top players was again unavailable, and the team was left to move forward without her.
After shootaround, coach Chris DeMarco said the group was not yet at full strength, even though all 14 players had taken part in practice on Friday. He said Ionescu was progressing and that the hope was to have her on the road trip, but he also made clear the team was not ready to force the issue. The Liberty did not offer any specific details about the back problem, leaving the timeline for her return tied more to how she felt than to any public target date.
Ionescu sounded cautious after Friday’s practice, saying the soreness was getting better and that she was taking every day in stride. She said it was obvious she needed treatment and time, and added that she had not tried to think too far ahead because being sidelined is part of the sport. That hesitation matched the team’s approach on Saturday: she was active in practice, but not cleared when game time arrived.
The setback matters because it has interrupted what should have been a simple return to rhythm. Ionescu has spent most of the season on the sideline, first with the foot injury and now with her back limiting her again, while the Liberty continue to deal with injuries and absences around a roster built with 12 players on standard contracts and two developmental players. For now, the road trip offers the clearest chance for a return, but the Liberty are still waiting for her to get through a day without the answer changing at the last minute.
