A record-breaking season for the WNBA ended in controversy after the New York Liberty won the championship in a game Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve says was stolen from them.
Sabrina Ionescu, 26, born on December 6, 1997, is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association.
Highlights
- Sabrina Ionescu and her New York Liberty team won the 2024 WNBA championship title.
- Follwing the cheating scandal by referees in the finals, Sabrina faced criticism from social media users.
- Other NBA stars called out referees amid online outrage over a foul call on Lynx center Alanna Smith.
She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and is considered one of the greatest collegiate players ever.
Ionsescu was selected first overall by the New York Liberty in the 2020 WNBA draft, has been selected for three consecutive WNBA All-Star games, and has thrice made the All-WNBA Team.
She set the WNBA single-season record in three-pointers and the WNBA Three-Point Contest record in 2023.
In the same season, she helped Liberty reach the WNBA Finals and win their first Commissioner’s Cup.
A two-time youth gold medalist with the United States, Ionescu made her senior national team debut at the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, where she won a gold medal.
Moreover, she was named to the 2024 Summer Olympics team for USA and won the gold medal.
Sabrina Ionescu Faced Criticism Following The Probable Cheating Happened In WNBA Finals
Sabrina finished the WNBA finals with 5 points on 1-19 field shooting, including 1-10 from three-point range.
While she did add 8 assists and 7 rebounds, she could not get a shot to call all game long.
Following Sabrina’s recent performance and potential cheating in the WNBA finals, she has faced criticism from social media users. One Twitter user wrote,
Sabrina ionescu is really trash. She can’t create separation at all to get a shot off. Terrible
@draino_wayno
Another user also wrote,
I love Breanna Stewart & Sabrina Ionescu, but that was not a performance worthy of a WNBA title. Felt like refs were gonna keep giving Stewie free throws until they went in. A truly abysmal shooting night for both players. Bad reffing tarnished their legacy IMO. Clear favoritism.
Jack Matheson
ESPN’s Alexa Philippou conveyed that Ionescu had a historically bad shooting start on Sunday.
“Sabrina Ionescu is now 0-12 from the field, the most consecutive misses in a winner-take-all game in WNBA history, via @ESPNStatsinfo”,”
Alexa Philippou
However, neither Ionescu nor anybody else will likely remember this poor performance because her Liberty team is now WNBA champions after the most impactful and attention-grabbing season in the league’s history.
The 2024 WNBA Finals will be remembered in history as one of the most thrilling series in the league.
Lynx and New York Liberty showcased their skills in a competitive environment that lit up the WNBA.
However, the finals highlighted a pressing issue: the quality of management. The referees’ performances fell short of the high standards set by the players, impacting the integrity of the league’s product.
Ice in her veins 🥶 Sabrina Ionescu came up CLUTCH to bring New York one win away from a championship.
— WNBA on ION (@IONWNBA) October 17, 2024
(via @WNBA) | #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/sfVQBcmZ7D
According to the NBA stars, referees cheated on Liberty at the end of the WNBA finals.
The Lynx’s frustration centered particularly on a controversial foul against Alanna Smith on Stewart with just 5.2 seconds left in regulation.
A much-debated call withstood a challenge despite apparent traveling by Stewart before the foul.
Before the Finals, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league would conduct its usual officiating review.
She believed that the heightened discourse on officiating reflected increasing passion in the league and was not a sign of an urgent need for improvement.
Lynx’s coach Cheryl Reeve wasn’t the only one upset about the performance in Sunday’s 67-62 overtime loss to the Liberty in the decisive Game 5.
Sabrina Ionescu is a WNBA champion 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9BfoXYf6py
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) October 21, 2024
NBA stars, including Lakers forward LeBron James and Bucks guard Damian Lillard, called out referees amid online outrage over a foul call on Lynx center Alanna Smith. James wrote,
‘I’m sorry, but that wasn’t a foul! Let those damn players dictate the outcome of a closely fought, tested game,”
LeBron James
Damian Lillard wrote,
“Refs called this play like they knew the assignment in the 2nd half, boy. Great game,”
Damian Lillard
Former NBA guard Isaiah Thomas said,
“They lowkey cheated for NY but I get it lol.
Isaiah Thomas
Three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, who announced her retirement from basketball in April, also dived in. She wrote,
Was that reviewed foul call a foul? I don’t think it was. Marginal contact.
Candace Parker
Additional Information
- Sabrina Ionescu was born to her father, Dan Ionescu, and her mother, Liliana Blaj.
- Ionescu has an estimated net worth of $5 million as of 2024.
- She was married to her husband, Hroniss Grasu, in 2024.
