LOS ANGELES, CA – The New York Liberty came to Los Angeles to face the Sparks in a historic moment for the WNBA. These two legacy franchises paid homage to the inaugural WNBA game played by the two teams 25 years ago at the old Great Western Forum back on June 21, 1997.
The game didn’t disappoint either as both teams battled in an intense finish. The Liberty edged the Sparks 76-73 in front of a sell-out crowd at the Los Angeles Convention Center in what was called “The ’97 Game.”
For Sparks fans, it was their first chance to get a look at the Liberty’s young star Sabrina Ionescu. In a homecoming for the Walnut Creek, CA native, she had a modest game finishing with just 9 points on 2/8 shooting with 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in 21 minutes.
While people were expecting more from Ionescu, who has gained considerable popularity from being a college hoops star at Oregon, being a friend to the great Kobe Bryant and the entire Bryant family, and starring alongside All-Star point guard Chris Paul in State Farm commercials, she continues to battle through a left ankle injury.
She missed the majority of her rookie season in the Wubble due to a severe left ankle sprain and still hasn’t fully recovered missing time throughout this season.
However, we have seen flashes of Ionescu’s talent and brilliance that features a very well-rounded game in her ability to score, make plays, and rebound at a high level for a guard. Just like her friend and mentor Kobe, she has shown the “Mamba Mentality” and a desire to want the ball in clutch moments and make game-winning shots.
Despite a decent but not a flashy performance, her potential did not go unnoticed by the Sparks.
“Sabrina is obviously working her way back from an ankle injury, still looking for timing and rhythm, but you still have to pay attention to her,” head coach/GM Derek Fisher said. “We still respected her at a high level coming into the game. We tried to defend her at a high level and make it as difficult as possible, but she played a complete game and her team won.”
Sparks point guard Erica Wheeler, who finished the game with a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists and defended Ionescu throughout the game, heaped significant praise on the young guard.
“Sabrina’s future is very bright, she’s probably going to be one of the best players to ever play the game,” Wheeler said. “It’s her second year, injury after injury, her coming back, I think she’s going to be great, she’s going to be fine. (I have) major respect for her as a vet, to see her do great things.”
Once Ionescu gets that left ankle healthy, the sky will be the limit for her success, and she will truly be able to take a bite out of The Big Apple and display that true potential.
