Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty arguably had their most disappointing game this season. It wasn’t because they lost against an underdog team, the Dallas Wings, but because of something more concerning for them. The Liberty, seeking to defend its WNBA title, is already on a two-game losing skid and is missing a critical player.
After a shocking 92-82 loss against the Wings on Monday, head coach Sandy Brondello, deeply frustrated, brought Ionescu and co. in and had a 40-minute long locker room meeting—a full-on discussion, after a tiring game. Speaking with the reporters after, Ionescu didn’t hold back and revealed how bad it is for the Liberty without their star, Breanna Stewart.
“Just understanding the urgency we need to play with, understanding nobody feels bad for us down some people,” Ionescu said. “We have to come out with a little more purpose. They brought JJ up into PNRs and we had nobody to contest at the rim. Usually we have Stewie.”
Sabrina Ionescu on postgame team meeting: “Just understanding the urgency we need to play with, understanding nobody feels bad for us down some people. We have to come out with a little more purpose. They brought JJ up into PNRs and we had nobody to contest at the rim. Usually we…
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) July 29, 2025
Stewart, one of the Liberty’s most reliable forwards, got sidelined after her leg went bad against the LA Sparks on Saturday–a game which also ended in a disappointing 101-99 loss for the team. Things got worse against the Wings, with the game being one-sided in their favor from the start. In reference, New York was trailing 36-63 against the 8-19 team.
Without Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu has had to shoulder even more of the leadership load—and it shows. Ionescu, alongside Jonquel Jones, helped rally the Liberty for a fourth-quarter push against Dallas, but they came up just short. New York still sits atop the East, but keeping that spot without their full lineup will test just how deep this squad really is.
Sabrina Ionescu gets another milestone amidst Liberty woes
Sabrina Ionescu’s on another heater. On Monday, she snatched her second Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season—tenth in her bag overall—and yeah, no one’s surprised. Averaging 24.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, she was cooking all week at Barclays, dropping buckets, dishing dimes, crashing boards, and just straight bullying defenders in the paint like she owned the place.
Ionescu didn’t just lead—she dazzled. She shot efficiently from all three levels and strung together back-to-back all-around games that helped New York secure two big wins. By the end of the week, she’d tied a few all-time greats in WNBA history for some milestone marks. This is also the third time a Liberty player has earned Player of the Week honors this year—no other team has done that.
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Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
