Account
Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu Notches 1st Career Triple-Double; 10th in WNBA History
May 19, 2021
Sabrina Ionescu has wasted little time turning heads this season.
First, the New York Liberty star drilled a game-winning three-pointer from well beyond the arc to defeat the Indiana Fever in the season opener. She added to her accolades in New York's third game of the season Tuesday when she notched a triple-double against the Minnesota Lynx.
The 23-year-old became the youngest WNBA player to tally a triple-double, which was just the 10th in league history.
Ionescu finished with 26 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds behind 7-of-16 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 shooting from deep.
She joined Sheryl Swoopes, Margo Dydek, Lisa Leslie, Deanna Nolan, Temeka Johnson, Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and Chelsea Gray as the only players in league history to finish with a triple-double in a regular-season game.
Swoopes also posted a triple-double in a playoff game for the Houston Comets.
Leslie was the only player on that list to finish with more points than Ionescu's 26, as the former Los Angeles Sparks star posted 29 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks in a 2004 win.
With Ionescu leading the way, the Liberty are yet to lose in the early going this season. They defeated the Fever in the first two games of the year before Tuesday's win, which stands in stark contrast to last season's 2-20 record.
The biggest issue for New York last season was the absence of Ionescu, who played just three games because of injury.
The former Oregon star is back and making history, and the Liberty already have more wins this year than they did all of last year.