Top overall pick Sabrina Ionescu donned the New York Liberty’s iconic colors for the first time, as practices are underway at IMG Academy.
Sabrina Ionescu made her unofficial New York Liberty debut on Thursday, donning the team’s traditional seafoam color scheme for the first time in a public setting.
In a video shared by the Liberty, Ionescu takes the IMG Academy court with New York assistant coach Dustin Gray and whetted the appetite of metropolitan hoops fans with several swishes, including a few from deep. Ionescu is the top overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft, chosen out of Oregon back in April. She is the NCAA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles and is the only player, male or female, in NCAA history to tally at least 2,000 points (2,562), 1,000 rebounds (1,040), and 1,000 assists (1,091) over her career.
Her rookie season now commences as the WNBA prepares to hold a 22-game season headquartered at IMG in Bradenton, Florida, a setup that has been referred to some as the “Wubble” by participants and media alike. The Liberty currently have 11 players on their roster, including seven rookies, after Asia Durr opted-out of the proceedings earlier this week.
Ionescu wasn’t the only one to take to the Bradenton courts. Other public participants included 2019 All-Star and third-year veteran Kia Nurse, as well as Ionescu’s fellow first-round selection Jazmine Jones (12th overall). Jones is seen likewise working with Gray, while Nurse puts up jumpers with the assistance of fellow new assistant coach Kelly Schumaker. Both assistants adorn masks and gloves while working with their players, as the WNBA attempts to commence the 2020 campaign amid surging coronavirus cases in Florida.
The schedule for the 2020 WNBA season will be released at a later date.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMagsÂ