Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will remain in New York for the foreseeable future after reaching an agreement on a multi-year extension, the team announced Monday.
The new deal comes just four days before Ionescu, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, begins her fourth WNBA season, where she’ll look to capitalize on a stellar 2022 campaign that netted her a first-time All-Star appearance.
“We couldn’t be more excited to announce Sabrina’s multi-year extension,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. “Her career is already off to a historic start and her will to win is truly unparalleled. Sab has quickly become synonymous with the Liberty franchise, and we look forward to her continued success in New York for many years to come.”
Prior to the extension, of which the financial details were not revealed, the 25-year-old guard was slated to become a restricted free agent following the ’23 season after the team exercised her fourth-year team option last May.
Ionescu, two years removed from a severe ankle sprain that limited her to three games as a rookie, turned in a breakout season last summer. Starting all 36 of the Liberty’s games, Ionescu averaged 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 41.1/33.3/93.1 shooting splits in 32.3 minutes per game.
In addition to being voted as an All-Star starter, Ionescu notched an All-WNBA second team selection and became the first player to join the 500/200/200 club. The Liberty finished the year with their second consecutive playoff berth, where they fell to the Sky in the first round, 2–1.
With her new deal now in place, Ionescu will head into Year 4 with her sights set on her first WNBA title run alongside premier offseason additions Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.
