Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty Agree to New Contract, Full Details Reportedly Revealed

Four-time WNBA All-Star Sabrina Ionescu ensured that seafoam will remain part of her wardrobe after agreeing to a new contract with the New York Liberty, the team announced on Friday.

According to ESPN's Alexa Philippou, Ionescu agreed to a three-year max contract that will pay her $1.19 million this season.

The 2025 campaign was a mixed bag for the dynamic playmaker.

The Liberty received a major blow before they embarked on their WNBA title defense as Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was lost to a meniscus injury she suffering while playing in Unrivaled. Stars Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones then missed 13 games apiece.

New York wound up fifth in the standings and lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the opening round of the playoffs. Only a year removed from winning a championship, the Liberty let head coach Sandy Brondello go, a sign of how far below expectations the team finished.

Ionescu, for her part, led the team in assists (5.7) and was second in points (18.2). She became an even bigger offensive hub thanks to Stewart and Jones battling injuries and not playing up to theirs usual standards.

Ionescu's continued slide as a shooter raised some concerns, though.

The 5'11" guard knocked down 44.8 percent of her threes in 2023, a significant climb from the 33.1 percent clip she maintained through her first three years in the WNBA. Some regression was inevitable in 2024, and she proceeded to shoot 33.3 percent from deep.

The Liberty's season-opening win over the Las Vegas Aces proved to be a harbinger of things to come. Ionescu missed all five of her three-point attempts en route to an eight-point outing.

For the season, Ionescu connected on just 29.9 percent of her long-range jumpers. Her previous low between college and the pros was 32.5 percent.

The decline was more pronounced in the playoffs as the two-time Three-Point Contest winner was 7-of-32 from the perimeter against Phoenix.

On the encouraging side, Ionescu had never been more potent as a scorer inside the three-point arc. She was a 49.3 percent shooter on twos and got to the free-throw line more than ever. Her 152 makes from the charity stripe were 31 more than her previous best.

The NCAA's all-time leader in triple-doubles also put her versatile skill set on full display. She was the second player ever in the WNBA to have 600 points, 200 assists and 150 rebounds while committing 100 turnovers or fewer.

After a bumpy start to her WNBA career, Ionescu turned a corner in 2022 and proved two years later she can be a key piece on a championship team.

Even in such a loaded class of free agents, there weren't many better talents on the board. If Ionescu can get her three-point mark back over 30 percent, then she's likely to return to MVP ballots in 2026.