"I Had Let My Team Down": Sabrina Ionescu Is Still Haunted by Career-Threatening Injury After "Rushing Back" Onto the Co

Making it to the Olympic squad this time around clearly signifies the hard work poured in by Sabrina Ionescu. For the past 4 years, the Oregon alum has made quite a reputation for herself by being an integral part of the New York Liberty. However, not all roses were red when she was drafted as the No.1 overall pick in the 2020 drafts.

The rookie year for Sabrina Ionescu in the WNBA was really a challenging endeavor. Soon after her advent into the league, she was forced to sit on the sidelines. This was courtesy of a Grade 3 left ankle sprain she suffered during Liberty’s 84-78 loss to the Atlanta Dream.

Following her minor ankle procedure, she returned to the court. But, she was nowhere near her best playing state. Recalling that experience in a recent interview with Lisa Robinson for Vanity Fair magazine, she said, “I rushed back into playing. New York was so excited to have the number one pick. And, I felt I had let my team down”.

Doctors had to remove a loose bone chip that was causing issues with the tendon behind her ankle during the surgery. This procedure requires a decent amount of time to heal. So Ionescu had to sit out the rest of her rookie season, with just 3 games to her name. Hence when the next season arrived, the 5’11 guard was quick to jump into her role, suffering the consequences as they came.

She reminisced, “I let all the media scrutiny get into my head and it took a huge toll on me. I wasn’t 100% and I almost had to have a second reconstructive surgery; I was playing in pain.” Ionescu played 30 games that season averaging 11.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.7 rebounds.



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