Report: Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu Undergoes Surgery on Thumb Injury to Stabilize UCL

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu underwent a procedure Friday to stabilize the UCL in her right thumb, according to ESPN's Alexa Philippou.

Philippou originally reported in October that Ionescu suffered a "high-grade UCL tear" to her shooting hand in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.

The injury helped to explain why the 2023 three-point champion went ice cold in the final two games of the series as New York secured its first title. She shot 6-of-34 from the field for 15 points across Games 4 and 5.

Ionescu tipped fans off to her recent surgery on social media. In an Instagram post Sunday to celebrate her 27th birthday, she shared a photo from her hospital bed and had a cast around her right hand.

Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists during the regular season. She was an All-Star and All-WNBA honoree for the third straight year and had her highest finish (sixth) in the MVP voting.

Her lackluster finish also obscures what was a solid postseason from the 5'11" guard. Her 16.9 points were the second-highest on the Liberty and she was the team's assist leader with 5.3 dimes per contest.

Philippou reported Ionescu should be back to on-court activity in around four weeks, which would put her easily on track to be ready for the regular season. The Liberty tip off against the Las Vegas Aces on May 17 in their opener.

For New York, anything short of a third successive Finals appearance is likely to be a disappointment since the team returns most of its key players. Ionescu is included in that group and her contributions will be important toward the Liberty's title defense.