Sabrina Ionescu is not only an Oregon Ducks legend and a star in the WNBA, she is now a national champion... finally. Ionescu helped lead the New York Liberty to its first-ever WNBA title just a few weeks ago and captured the hearts of the country and the City that Never Sleeps.
On Thursday, Oct. 31, ESPN reported that Ionescu suffered a high-grade UCL tear on her right hand during Game 4 of the Finals but played through it in Game 5 as the Liberty captured the championship.
Fans of Ionescu, whether old or new, could tell that something was off as the shooting star went 1-of-19 from the field and only scored 5 points in the final game. ESPN's Alexa Philippou initially reported the injury and shared that Ionescu had recently been seen with her hand wrapped and a splint on her right thumb.
Source: The New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu suffered a high-grade UCL tear in her right shooting hand in Game 4 of WNBA Finals.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) October 31, 2024
No surgery is required and a full recovery is expected. https://t.co/4fXdMvT95N
Despite the injury, Ionescu's defense and court awareness were spot-on throughout the entirety of the game, as she clocked in for 40 minutes of the matchup. For those wondering... Ionescu is, in fact, right-handed.
Ionescu had 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block in the title-winning game for the Liberty. During Game 4, when she suffered the injury, Ionescu scored 10 points while contributing 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Ionescu never got the chance to win the national title for the Ducks, as her senior season was cut short by COVID-19, right when Oregon was the No. 1 team in the country and on track to capture the NCAA Championship. However, the beloved Oregon guard has finally won her ring, even with an injury.