The 2025 WNBA season has seen the New York Liberty maintain their strong form from the previous year, currently holding a 17-6 record and positioned second in the standings. This surge is largely credited to Sabrina Ionescu’s exceptional performance, who is having a career-best season so far. Despite concerns when Finals MVP Jonquel Jones suffered an injury, the Liberty responded resiliently, embarking on a five-game winning streak to reassert their status as championship contenders.
During a recent game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Liberty dominated the Phoenix Mercury with an 89-76 victory. Ionescu led the charge with a clinical 29-point display, yet she remained outwardly critical of the team’s focus and execution. After the game, she addressed these issues candidly, emphasizing the need for mental sharpness on the court.
“Yeah, I think we came out a little sloppy and that was kind of the moment where we got into that timeout and we’re like, all right, we can’t do this. Like, we can’t play that game. I obviously had turned the ball over a little bit and just rushed some shots. And so I think that was kind of a re-group moment to be able to come back,”
Ionescu reflected.
Key Strategies Highlighted by Sabrina Ionescu to Maintain Competitive Edge
Beyond addressing the recent performance lapses, Ionescu outlined the specific areas the Liberty must focus on to sustain their winning momentum. Guarding possession and capitalizing on quality shot opportunities were among her priorities.
“We gotta take care of the ball. We got to get good shots. Because we were getting really good looks. We just weren’t executing,”
she explained, underscoring the need to improve efficiency during critical game moments.
Ionescu also noted the psychological boost that came from finally connecting on important shots, which shifted momentum in the Liberty’s favor and elevated their defensive intensity. Her ability to lead both on and off the court remains essential as the team eyes the top seed and aims to defend their title amid fierce competition.
Phoenix Mercury Struggle Amid Midseason Setbacks and Losing Streak
The Phoenix Mercury’s 2025 campaign has been marked by inconsistency, struggling to maintain momentum despite a promising six-game winning streak in June. Once in position to secure the clear number two seed, the Mercury have fallen 2.5 games behind the Liberty and are currently enduring a three-game losing streak. The addition of veteran forward DeWanna Bonner in early July has yet to stabilize the team’s performance, as the Mercury have gone 2-3 since her arrival.
With the Seattle Storm closing in from behind in the standings, the Mercury face mounting pressure to regain form quickly. Currently on a five-game road trip, every loss further threatens their chances of securing home-court advantage in the playoffs—a critical factor in postseason success. The team’s recent slide illustrates how narrow the margin for error is during this pivotal phase of the season.
Implications for the Playoffs and Championship Prospects
As the WNBA season reaches its latter stages, the battles for playoff positioning intensify, highlighting the importance of leadership and consistency. The New York Liberty, driven by Sabrina Ionescu’s dynamic leadership and sharp performances, are poised to challenge for back-to-back titles despite injury setbacks to key players. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Mercury must halt their decline quickly, or they risk losing critical home-court advantage as they face stiff competition.
The unfolding rivalry between these teams underscores the high stakes of this season, where every game has significant playoff implications. How effectively Ionescu and the Liberty capitalize on their momentum and how the Mercury navigate their current struggles will largely determine the ultimate contenders for the 2025 WNBA championship.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Did Sabrina Ionescu have surgery?
A. Sabrina Ionescu from the New York Liberty is getting better after having surgery on her right thumb’s ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). The WNBA star shared news of the surgery on Instagram after it was reported.
Q. Is Sabrina Ionescu black or white?
A. Ionescu was born in Walnut Creek, California, to parents of Romanian-American descent. Her father, Dan Ionescu, left communist Romania about the time of the 1989 revolution to seek asylum in the United States.
Q. How heavy is Sabrina Ionescu?
A. Ionescu injured the UCL in her right hand badly during Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. However, this news came out only after the Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5. The surgery concludes an outstanding year for the basketball player.
Q. Is Sabrina Ionescu a twin?
A. She has a twin brother named Edward, or “Eddy,” who is 18 minutes younger than her. Eddy initially played basketball at the City College of San Francisco. He then moved to Oregon, where he only studied during the 2018–19 school year. In 2019–20, he joined the men’s basketball team, the Ducks, as a walk-on player.