INDIANAPOLIS — Just a few short weeks ago, Liberty standout Sabrina Ionescu seemed far from her usual form.
Early challenges plagued her as she attempted to bounce back from injuries that had kept her on the sidelines for the majority of the first five weeks this season.
Despite speculation, Ionescu dismissed suggestions that her persistent back discomfort was affecting her performance.
In one particularly challenging game, head coach Chris DeMarco opted to sit Ionescu during the closing minutes of their defeat in Los Angeles.
However, those concerns surrounding Ionescu have now faded into the background.
She entered Saturday enjoying the best four-game stretch of her season, averaging 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals.
But Ionescu didn’t care to talk about her own glowing performance as of late after Saturday’s shootaround.
“I’m just worried about winning and finding ways to impact the team in positive ways,” Ionescu said. “Some have translated to wins, others haven’t.”
The Liberty have dropped four straight games after Saturday’s 108-88 loss to the Fever in which Ionescu scored 12 points. Ionescu described the past few weeks as a “rocky process.”
She knew she’d find her rhythm at some point.
But the inconsistent showings by the Liberty are somewhat concerning for a team with so much potential.
“We’re really mature about it,” Ionescu said. “It really hasn’t been too frustrating. Every team goes through it. Everyone understands. … During the process, kind of when you’re in it, it sucks but I think everyone has a really good mindset of knowing it’ll pay off for us in the long run.”
Women’s National Basketball Players Association leaders are scheduled to meet with the league, including commissioner Cathy Engelbert, next week to address the increasing online harassment players have been experiencing in recent weeks.
WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart said the union’s executive committee has been invited to attend the meeting.
Stewart wasn’t sure what exactly led to the meeting, but is “happy that it is” happening.
“Whether it’s just messaging points of how we can continue to tell or influence our teammates to get through situations like this,” Stewart said. “It’s definitely necessary to have it as an open dialogue. I think that these are growing pains of really having a bigger reach and bigger platform and just kind of giving people guidance on what they should do and how to continue to keep yourself or your family safe.”
This week, Aces guard Chelsea Gray shared a screenshot of a vile Instagram direct message she received that included a racial slur.
“People act like we just make this s–t up,” she wrote. “And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.’ ”