Ionescu Poised to Shine as Liberty Face Wings Without Stewart
Alright, so let’s talk about tonight’s big WNBA matchup: the New York Liberty taking on the Dallas Wings — and the spotlight is squarely on Sabrina Ionescu.
Now, the Liberty had a bit of a scare over the weekend. In their last game against the Sparks, two-time MVP Breanna Stewart left the court just over three minutes into the game with a leg injury. That loss snapped New York’s five-game winning streak, but the real relief came after — it turned out the injury wasn’t serious. Still, Stewart is being held out of tonight’s game as a precaution.
With Stewart sidelined, it’s Sabrina Ionescu’s time to lead — and let me tell you, history says she shows up in these moments. On Saturday, she dropped 30 points with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The Liberty were actually +9 with her on the court during her 36 minutes, which tells you just how impactful she was — even though the team ultimately lost by 2.
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Looking back at games without Stewart, Ionescu has been nothing short of elite. She’s scored 30, 28, and 30 points in those matchups. And in Saturday’s game, her usage rate was over 31%, which is massive. Basically, whenever Stewart’s out, the Liberty offense runs through Sabrina — and she thrives under that pressure.
Tonight’s game seems to set up perfectly for her again. The Wings’ defense has been shaky all season. They’ve allowed the fourth-most points in the league and rank second-worst when it comes to defending the three. That’s key because Sabrina takes a ton of threes — more than half of her shots come from beyond the arc. She’s also deadly from midrange and floater range, two more areas where Dallas has really struggled defensively.
Plus, Dallas is in a rough stretch. They’ve lost six of their last seven and just got blown out by 26 points against the Aces. Paige Bueckers, the top rookie and one of Dallas’ bright spots, will be in the spotlight tonight too. She’s been solid — nearly 20 points a game over the last 16 — but she’s still growing into her defensive responsibilities. And matching up against someone like Ionescu? That’s no easy assignment.
Add to that the Liberty’s fast pace, their depth with players like Natasha Cloud and Jonquel Jones, and the fact that Dallas struggles both offensively and defensively, and you can see why New York is favored by eight points tonight.
So if you’re looking at prop bets — Ionescu as the game’s leading scorer at even odds (+100)? That’s a pretty strong pick. With Stewart out and Ionescu in full control, don’t be surprised if she lights it up again.
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