Sabrina Ionescu is excited about her new role in the innovative 3-on-3 league, Unrivaled. The star guard for the New York Liberty, who played a key role in bringing the franchise its first championship earlier this year, officially signed an important contract with the league on Monday. She will be joining Phantom BC, a team that made a recent trade to obtain Natasha Cloud.
In a phone interview, Ionescu emphasized the significance of her decision to participate, stating, “It was a huge decision getting me to play or not. I weighed out all my options and decided to do what’s best for me and my career. Being part of a league that is the first of its kind with a historic deal and being involved on the ownership side is important for me.”
The league has offered her flexibility in her schedule, allowing her to take necessary time off if required. Notably, the NBA All-Star Game is set for February 16, coinciding with the Unrivaled season. However, there will be no scheduled games for the league during the NBA All-Star weekend. There’s also talk of her possibly competing in another 3-point contest, potentially alongside Stephen Curry.
“I have certain dates that I have to be gone for. They were very accommodating with things I already accepted and have to be gone for before I committed to the league,” she added, highlighting the supportive nature of her new league. Ionescu will share the court with well-known players like Brittney Griner, Marina Mabrey, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Satou Sabally, who was her teammate during her time at Oregon.
The 27-year-old player is recuperating from a recent procedure on her right thumb, which aimed to stabilize the ulnar collateral ligament. Although she hasn’t been cleared yet, she is optimistic about being ready to start at the beginning of the Unrivaled season, stating, “I should be cleared and ready to go and be able to be there and be a part of it.” She expressed her enthusiasm about being involved in the league’s inaugural year and the impact of her ownership role.
Ionescu suffered the thumb injury in the last 90 seconds of Game 4 of the WNBA Finals but was determined not to miss the critical game, which New York won. Despite having a challenging performance in the decisive Game 5 against Minnesota, where she went 1 for 19, she contributed significantly with eight assists and seven rebounds.
Reflecting on her injury experience, Ionescu mentioned, “I didn’t know the severity of my injury when I did it. I didn’t care to know and wanted to do whatever I could to play and try to do the best I can for us to win.” She later took the time to ascertain the best course of action regarding her injury and ultimately decided on surgery after consulting with multiple doctors.
This endeavor marks the first offseason league for Ionescu. She expressed her excitement about this new opportunity, stating, “It’s a great opportunity to compete against the best players in the league that are now in Unrivaled.” It has been a remarkable year for Ionescu, who not only got married but also won an Olympic gold medal.
“It’s been amazing. When I sit back and think about everything that happened this year, it puts a lot in perspective when things aren’t going as well,” she reflected. “I’ve had those years where everything was going wrong and then to have a year like this where you stop and smell the roses and everything you prayed and wished for happens.”
