With their big move to Brooklyn, the New York Liberty are starting a new journey. They drafted Oregon superstar Sabrina Ionescu with the number one overall pick in the WNBA draft. Finally, the biggest star in basketball is in New York City and they are ready to embrace her.
Within an hour of getting draft, Ionescu’s jersey sold out online. She brings the Mamba Mentality to New York City. Ionescu was close with Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna before their untimely passing. She spoke at the Bryant memorial before playing in a game that night. She became the first D1 player (male or female) to score 2,000 points, have 1,000 assists, and grab 1,000 rebounds, something we all know Kobe would be proud of.
ESPN’s WNBA expert Mechelle Voepel ranked the Liberty last in an updated power ranking. She explained,
“It’s definitely a new era for New York, led by Ionescu, and it should be interesting watching how it all comes together. But with this many young players — however many that ends up being — it’s likely to be a pretty challenging season.”
With such low expectations, anything positive Ionescu does for the city could be a huge morale boost.
New York City has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In past tragedies, New York City has looked at sports stars for hope. Nobody will ever forget the Mike Piazza home run after 9/11.
Ionescu already plays with an edge, but she will forever be playing with a chip on her shoulder. She chose to return to college this season to avenge the Ducks’ playoff loss. Instead, the NCAA tournament was canceled and she never got her win.
The Liberty marked the new era by ending another one. New York native Tina Charles spent six seasons with the team. It was clear during the season that it would be her last with the team. The Liberty wanted to rebuild and she was their greatest asset.
Just days before drafting Ionescu, the team made the decision to trade Charles to the reigning champions to join regular-season MVP Elena Della Donne and Finals MVP Emma Meesseman.
The trade opens the door for a new star. The three-team trade gave the Liberty five of the top 15 picks in the draft, perfect for their rebuilding situation. On top of Ionescu, they were able to get Megan Walker, Jocelyn Willoughby, Jazmine Jones, Kylee Shook, and Leaonna Odom.
