It has been tough sledding the last two seasons for the WNBA’s New York Liberty winning a total of 17 games. With the additions made with a new head coach; relocating the team to Brooklyn on a full-time basis and with what they did in the 2020 Draft, there is a sense of better seasons ahead. That especially the case with whom they selected with the No. 1 overall pick, the first time they have done so in franchise history.
On Friday night, the Liberty selected with that No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, the first time choosing at No. 1 overall in franchise Sabrina Ionescu out of the University of Oregon.
Ionescu, who was with her family at their home in Walnut Creek, CA when she got drafted No. 1 overall had been the presumptive top pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft since she decided to return to play her senior season with the Lady Ducks. A dream that she has had since the age of 12.
“I mean, it’s a blessing. I’m just blessed to spend this time with my family, my coach in Bill Duffy,” Ionescu, who has 43 postseason awards to her name in her college career said to ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe after being drafted on Friday night. “So, I’m just really blessed to be able to be in this position that I’ve worked so hard for in my entire life.”
Ionescu became the first player from the University of Oregon to be selected as the Top Pick in the WNBA draft, and joined former USC Lady Trojans and four-time WNBA champion with Houston Comets Tina Thompson (1997); current Los Angeles Sparks in former Stanford Lady Cardinals in Nneka (2012, Sparks) and Chiney (2014, Connecticut Sun) Ogwumike and former Washington Lady Husky Kelsey Plum (2017, San Antonio Stars, now Las Vegas Aces) as the only Pac-12 players to be selected No. 1 overall in the draft.
Before drafting who the Liberty hope will be the face of their franchise for a decade-plus, their offseason began with their new owner Joseph Tsai, who also owns the Brooklyn Nets purchasing the team and relocating them to play on a full-tie basis at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
The Liberty then made a change with the leadership on their sidelines with the hire of new head coach Walt Hopkins, who had spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx, where he was a part of their title team in 2017, their fourth WNBA title in franchise history. Hopkins replaced Hall of Famer Katie Smith, who compiled just a 17-51 record in her two seasons as head coach of the Liberty.
Prior to his time with the Lynx, Hopkins basketball journey began as the Director of Basketball Operations and Player Development wit the then Tulsa Shock in 2013. From 2013-14, he was an assistant coach for the Utah Valley Lady Wolverines and for University of California, Berkley Lady Golden Bears.
Through two three-team trades that involved the Las Vegas Aces, Washington Mystics, Dallas Wings, the Liberty were able to acquire the No. 9, 12 (WAS) and 15 (DAL) overall picks, brought in some championship experience in guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Tayler Hill, and three draft picks in the 2021 draft. The Liberty also in free agency signed veteran All-Star guard Layshia Clarendon, whose played for the Indian Fever, Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun in her first seven WNBA seasons.
At No. 9, the Liberty selected junior Megan Walker, the 2020 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player Megan Walker out of the University of Connecticut.
At No. 10, the Phoenix Mercury selected Jocelyn Willoughby out of the University of Virginia, who they traded the draft rights of the now former Lady Cavalier to the Liberty for Walker-Kimbrough.
With the 12th and final pick of the opening-round of the draft, the Liberty selected out of the University of Louisville, 2020 First Team All-ACC guard Jazmine Jones.
Coach Hopkins and General Manager Jonathan Kolb hopes with the new additions via the draft and trades can play a style offensively where the floor can be spread and make shots consistently from the perimeter of drives to the hoop and gets out in the open court, while also being able to switch and be versatile as well at the a defensive end.
That shift in offensive philosophy was a big reason why they traded Charles earlier in the week is because they wanted to find more mobility from their front court players, according to Rowe.
Ionescu, who will be the real key into how this works is a versatile as they come on both ends and is just as selfless in sharing the offensive load.
Walker, a 2020 “Associated Press” First Team All-American rose her scoring average from 12.1 points to 19.7 points by shooting 45 percent from three-point range, which was No. 8 in D-1 Women’s Basketball last season, to along with were exceptional ability to score off the bounce, which is how she was one of five D-1 players to score 19-plus points and grab eight-plus boards this past season. Walker was also a solid defender in college, especially in the post.
“Really it was just my work that I put in over the summer. Just being consistent. Trusting everything that I did,” Walker said to Rowe about her improved scoring production and three-point prowess for head coach Geno Auriemma and the Lady Huskies this past season. “The biggest thing for me was preparation.”
Willoughby, who led the Atlantic Coastal Conference at 19.2 points per game this past season on her way to being First Team All-ACC and is the most by a UVA player in a decade.
She brings an ability to score in the paint, in transition, from three-point range, where she shot 42 percent and at the free throw line which is how she registered 14 games of 20-plus points for the Cavaliers in 2019-20. She also brings a versatility at the defensive end being able to guard four positions and can rebound with the best of them as demonstrated by her 20 double-doubles that she had the last two seasons.
Versatility at the defensive end, with the ability to switch on the perimeter is what Jones will bring to the Liberty, along with the ability to score and finish in the paint, and to make threes, which she did at a 38 percent clip this past season. She will also bring like Ionescu a competitive will to the floor, as demonstrated by the school record she set by playing in 144 career games for the Lady Cardinals.
In said senior season, the Walnut Creek, CA native registered in her four-year college career at Oregon an NCAA-record 26 triple-doubles, which is 14 more than the next closest player in Division I history.
To put into context how major it was for head coach Kelly Graves squad when Ionescu register a triple-double in her collegiate career, the Lady Ducks went a perfect 26-0 when she had double figures in points, rebounds and assists, which is the longest winning streak of a player registering a triple-double in not just Division I history, but in NBA and WNBA history as well.
Ionescu also became the first player in men’s or women’s collegiate basketball history to reach the 2,000-1,000-1,000 plateau in points (2,562-school record), rebounds (1,040) and assists (1,091-Pac-12 record and 4th most in NCAA history).
“There’s so many different words to describe Sabrina. She’s an incredible athlete, incredible competitor,” Coach Graves said of Ionescu.
Her teammate Satou Sabally, who went No. 2 overall in the draft to the Wings called echoed those same feelings saying that Ionescu was “relentless” on the hardwood, who can do “whatever she wants” and is “always there for her teammates.
Former Oregon forward Ruthy Hebard, who went No. 8 overall in the draft to the Chicago Sky also said of Ionescu that when she took the hardwood that she was “focused, determined” player who was on a mission and a “great teammate.”
Ionescu reached this exceptional milestone, when she eclipsed the 1,000-rebound mark in the Lady Ducks victory at the Stanford Lady Cardinal on Feb. 24. This was on the heels of speaking at the memorial service of her friend and mentor in five-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer to be of the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, who along with his daughter Gianna and seven other individuals were killed in a helicopter crash outside of L.A. early Sunday morning, Jan. 26.
“I grew up watching Kobe Bryant game after game, ring after ring. Living his greatness without apology,” Ionescu said when she spoke at his and Gianna’s memorial at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA earlier in the day two months back. “I wanted to be just like him. To love every part of the competition. To be the first to show up and the last to leave. To love the grind. To be your best when you don’t feel your best and make other people around you the best version of themselves. And to wake up and do it again the next day. So that’s what I did. Wake up, grind, and get better. Wake up, grind and get better.”
Ionescu added about her friend and mentor in what he meant to her and women’s basketball, “I would say the most important imprint he’s left is just having us feel equal. He believed in women’s sports.”
This past season, the 2020 Associated Press Player of the Year averaged 17.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds on 51.8 percent shooting from the field; 39.2 percent from three-point range and 92.1 percent from the free throw line as she capped a remarkable career that saw her become in the all-time scoring and assists leader in Pac-12 history; and be named Pac-12 Player of the Year three times.
Along with the great numbers that Ionescu put up in her collegiate career, she also displayed a competitive spirit and a will to win that harnessed a togetherness and united spirit that made the Lady Ducks a championship contender.
A high basketball IQ that made here an exceptional player in the pick-and-roll with the ability to score from the mid-range or at the bucket, while also the uncanny ability and vision to find open teammates when she got doubled.
The three-time “Associated Press” First-Team All-America also displayed that IQ at the defensive end with her ability to use her 5-foot-11 frame to rebound in traffic.
She started all 33 games last season in helping the Lady Ducks to a 31-2 mark and the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles respectively.
The Lady Ducks seemed to be on the verge of finally climbing that national title mountain after reaching the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four once in the first three years of Ionescu’s career.
That chance to compete for a national title never came due to the cancellation of the NCAA Basketball Tournament last month due to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
It was a disappointing conclusion to the 2019-20 NCAA Basketball season for both the men and women, especially the seniors across the nation, but it allowed the chance for players like Ionescu to look forward to the next chapter of their careers in the WNBA, if or when the 24th season of the “W,” which was slated to begin on May 15, but due to the COVID-19 Pandemic has been postponed with no rescheduled date announced.
When the 24th WNBA season does begin for the Liberty, Ionescu will already have a head start on most of the 2020 Rookie class as back in November 2019 the Lady Ducks played and defeated the U.S. Women’s national team in an exhibition contest in Eugene, OR, defeating them 93-86.
Even though the entire Team U.S.A. squad did not participate in the game, Ionescu showed out well against a collection of the best women’s basketball players in the world registering 30 points and seven assists.
Her play on that evening and throughout her career has earned the respect of some of the best currently in the NBA.
“She’s blazing a trail that nobody’s step foot in,” two-time Kia MVP and three-time champion of the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry said earlier this year when the Lady Ducks played against the Lady Cardinal. “So, pretty amazing to see her just set new levels of expectation of what greatness is in not just women’s basketball but basketball in general.”
Curry’s former teammate in two-time Finals MVP and four-time scoring champion in now Brooklyn Nets’ forward Kevin Durant tweeted @KDTrey5 to Ionescu @sabrina_i20, “Welcome to Brooklyn.”
Soon to be teammate and former UConn Lady Husky in All-Star Kia Nurse tweeted @KayNurse 11, tweeted “Welcome to the Big Apple @sabrina_i20! can’t wait to get to work #BrooklynLoud.”
NBATV Studio analyst, WNBA champion and former No. 1 overall pick in Candace Parker said the most impressive thing about Ionescu’s game is her ability to “play with great players and still distribute the ball.”
“I mean if you look at the way she plays, she’s been surrounded by great players at Oregon and I think a lot of people will look at her points per game and say, ‘If you’re a dominant player you need to score more… Sabrina Ionescu makes plays when she has to. And she makes the correct play, and that’s what makes her so special.”
While she has only been in New York twice in her young life, she said to Ruocco, Lobo and Rowe that she is excited to get to Brooklyn, get to know the city and star the next chapter of her basketball journey.
The other identifying part of Ionescu’s life that will endear her to Liberty nation is the fact that she is a first-generation Romanian American of a family that immigrated from Romania to the U.S. many years ago. Also, she has something that who was also a No. 1 overall pick after a decorated collegiate career in WNBA champion Diana Taurasi. That is a hunger to compete.
“She plays with a will to win that crosses over into league,” Taurasi said. “When you play with that type of competitive spirit, all those other things, which you know, when you start in the WNBA those are going to be hard regardless. But if you can overcome that with how hard you play and how bad you want to win, which Sabrina does every single time she touches the court the skies, the limit for the kid.”
During the broadcast of the draft on Friday night, Rowe shared that when Ionescu and here twin brother Eddy, who started playing basketball on the playgrounds at a very young age in California where their father would drop them off in the morning on his way to work and they play games against other players for money that they used to buy slurpees.
It was during this time that Ionescu developed that hunger and love to beat others on the hardwood developed and the Liberty hope will continue in the Brooklyn and earn support, respect and love from the fanbase, especially from close to 22,000 folks of Romanian decent that reside in the New York area, along with earning plenty of money to by the occasional slurpee from a “7-Eleven” or any other convenient store.
“I know that she going to have a built in fanbase there with the people that love her, and she will get a lot of support there, and congratulations to Sabrina,” Rowe said. “She’s been hungry for this. She loves basketball so much and we cannot wait to she what she does in the ‘Big Apple.’”
One very important aspect that Ionescu said to Ruocco, Lobo and Rowe on Friday night that she felt her greatest improvement in this past season was in her ability to lead. With the All-Star centerpiece of the Liberty in Tina Charles being dealt on Wednesday to the defending WNBA champion Washington Mystics in a three-team deal, acquiring Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Tayler Hill, Ionescu will be the face of the team as well as the leader.
Ionescu said though that the on the job training of becoming a leader in her four years at Oregon and will “continue” her growth in that category as she progresses in what she hopes will be a long and successful pro career, especially at the beginning where all eyes will be on her playing in the biggest media market in the country.
“I don’t think I’m worried about it,” Ionescu said to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on “NBA: The Jump” on Friday about the likely resentment from veterans in the WNBA. “Obviously, it’s going to hold its own challenges of entering a new league with veterans that have been there for many years. But I’m just excited for the opportunity to learn from them.”
“You know, I think me as a person, I’m going to reach out to all of them and just thank them for the opportunity to grow and hopefully having my teammates there understanding that, you know, coming from Oregon and coming to New York, I’m just excited to learn from them and kind of enter that new stage of my life. And so, hopefully they’ll be no jealousy and I’m just excited to kind of ride that roller coaster of being a professional.”
Over the past two seasons, the New York Liberty averaged 8.5 wins after registering an average of 22.0 wins the previous three seasons under now head coach of the Aces and former two-time champion with the Detroit Pistons Bill Laimbeer.
A lot of change has taken place going from playing their home games at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY to now playing full-time at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Having a new head coach in Walt Hopkins, who hopes to build a winning team around a new offensive style that is predicated on shooting and transition and a defensive style that consists of a lot of switching around the new face of the franchise in No. 1 overall pick Sabrina Ionescu and fellow rookies in Megan Walker and Jazmine Jones and supporting cast of Bria Hartley, Brittney Boyd, Kia Nurse, Rebecca Allen, Asia Durr, Tanisha Wright, Amanda Zahui B. and Layshia Clarendon.
The key to all of this working is Ionescu, who the Liberty hope can be the player that she was for her four-year collegiate career in Eugene, OR. If she is, then the future is bright.
“So, I’m just excited to learn from the players that are there and make new friendships and continue to grow in every aspect of the game,” she said.
“I’m just excited for the opportunity,” Ionescu said. “I’m gonna enjoy this for a couple of days. But I’m just excited to get out there and start working and get to know my team. Get to know the coaching staff, and really just get to work.”
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 4/15/2020 7 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Casey Stern, Greg Anthony, and Candace Parker; 4/16/2020 7 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Matt Winer, Stan Van Gundy, and Reggie Miller; 4/17/2020 3 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Paul Pierce, and Jay Williams; 4/17/2020 7 p.m. “2020 WNBA Draft,” presented by State Farm on ESPN with Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Holly Rowe and Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm; 4/17/20 www.espn.com story, “Oregon Superstar Sabrina Ionescu Goes No. 1 to New York Liberty,” by Mechelle Voepel; 4/18/2020 9 a.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter: AM” with Antonietta Collins and David Lloyd; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_New_York_Liberty_season; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Liberty#Season-by-season_records.
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