Sabrina Ionescu Announces 2026 WNBA Debut Date for Liberty After Foot Injury Rehab

After missing the team's first five games, New York Liberty All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu is set for her 2026 WNBA regular-season debut.

According to Annie Costabile of The Athletic, Ionescu said Saturday after practice that she will play Sunday against the Dallas Wings, although she is unsure if she will also play Monday against the Portland Fire as she takes things "day by day."

Earlier this month, Ionescu rolled her left ankle during a preseason game against the Connecticut Sun. An MRI showed no significant damage to her ankle or foot, but the injury caused her to miss New York's first five regular-season contests.

Without one of their top players, the Liberty are off to an uneven start this season with a 3-2 record, which places them fourth in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the WNBA overall.

The 28-year-old Ionescu was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft out of Oregon, and she has shown consistent improvement throughout her six-year WNBA career.

Ionescu has been named an All-Star and a member of the All-WNBA Second Team in each of the past four seasons.

The two-time winner of the WNBA Three-Point Shootout helped the Liberty win their first-ever championship in 2024, and she has averaged 18.2 points per game in each of the past two campaigns.

Last season, Ionescu was second on the team in scoring, just behind Breanna Stewart, who averaged 18.3 points per contest.

Ionescu also averaged 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 three-pointers made and 1.3 steals, while shooting 40.1 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from beyond the arc.

While Ionescu's efficiency has dipped the past two years after shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 44.8 percent from deep in 2023, she is still among the most dangerous shooters in the WNBA, and the Liberty have clearly missed that element so far this season.

Her return to the lineup comes at a perfect time for the Liberty, as they prepare to face a Wings team that appears to be much improved.

Dallas has missed the playoffs in back-to-back years and went just 10-34 last season, but with Paige Bueckers leading the way, the Wings are off to a 3-3 start.

Ionescu and Bueckers could be matched up often Sunday in a battle of two of the WNBA's best guards, which would serve as a solid measuring stick for Ionescu and where she is in her recovery.