With the first pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft, the New York Liberty drafted Sabrina Ionescu, and the rest is history. The team that won just two games before selecting Ionescu slowly but surely turned things around with the help of the Oregon product, and she's become one of the most popular players in the league.
Ionescu helped lead the Liberty to a championship in 2024 and has seemingly made it clear that she has no desire to leave New York. “I’m where my feet are at,” Ionescu told The New York Post. “I’m a part of a great organization here that drafted me, and for me, obviously, it’s where I want to be for the rest of my career.”
That being said, athletes tend to say stuff like that all the time, and that doesn't always mean it's true. Unforeseen circumstances could arise, or Ionescu could simply find that she wants to return closer to home. Ionescu is originally from the Bay Area, so if she were to tie up her laces for another team, the Golden State Valkyries would make perfect sense for her.
Ionescu even posted on her social media about returning to the Bay Area when the Liberty took on the Valkyries on Wednesday, noting, "Just a Bay Area kid with a dream.. back where it all started" with the prayer hands emoji.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu posts heartfelt message about first time playing in Bay Area in the WNBA
Right now, it does make sense that Ionescu would want to stay with the Liberty. She's helped build them into a championship team and has put her roots down in New York. With the talent the Liberty have, they'll continue to be contenders for the foreseeable future.
Will that remain the case five years down the road, though? Would the opportunity to return home and play near her hometown be something Ionescu wouldn't be able to turn down? We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds.