Liberty's Playoff Push Stalled by Ionescu's Toe Injury

As of September 6th, 2025, the New York Liberty's playoff push has hit a significant speed bump with the absence of star guard Sabrina Ionescu. Ionescu suffered a left toe injury during practice in late August, just before the team's September 3rd matchup against the Golden State Valkyries.

Head coach Sandy Brondello has described Ionescu's status as "day-to-day," but the All-Star guard has already missed three consecutive games. While the injury is less severe than her previous thumb surgery in December 2024, it has come at a critical time for the Liberty, who are battling for the Eastern Conference's top spot.

Without Ionescu's perimeter gravity and late-game shot-making, the Liberty offense has operated with reduced space and rhythm. The team has relied more on Courtney Vandersloot and Marine Johannès as its primary playmakers, while Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has focused on scoring duties. However, the Liberty have dropped two of the three games in Ionescu's absence, highlighting their diminished firepower.

The good news for the Liberty is that Nyara Sabally, who has been out since July 16th with a nagging right knee injury, is nearing a return. Sabally's length, rebounding, and defensive skills will be essential for the Liberty's upcoming playoff games against taller opponents. Head coach Brondello has confirmed that Sabally is "questionable" for upcoming contests and is expected back before the regular season concludes on September 11th.

The Liberty's title hopes now rest heavily on getting both Ionescu and Sabally healthy at the right time. The team faces another critical challenge tonight against the Seattle Storm, who lead the season series 2-0. The Liberty will need Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones to step up and match the two-way dominance of the Storm's veteran leader, Nneka Ogwumike, while Vandersloot and Laney-Hamilton must limit the influence of Skylar Diggins.