Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu undergoes ankle surgery

The New York Liberty confirmed on Monday that star guard Sabrina Ionescu underwent surgery to remove scar tissue behind her ankle. 

New York selected Ionescu first overall in the 2020 draft, but the 22-year-old suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain in her third professional game and ultimately missed the remainder of the season. 

“She had a minor ankle procedure to remove a loose bone chip that was irritating a tendon behind her ankle,” Dr. Martin O’Malley, who performed the operation, told the Liberty's website. “This chip that occurred during her sprain in July did not involve the ankle joint cartilage surface and we expect a complete recovery. The ligaments she tore during her injury have all completely healed and there was no need for an ankle ligament stabilization procedure.”

Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN) Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb also said that Ionescu is completely healed from the July sprain and should be cleared to return to basketball activities soon. 

“With the long offseason, I am committed to returning in 2021 fully prepared to rejoin my team and jumpstart my WNBA career," Ionescu said for the club's prepared statement. “My rehab has been going very well and I look forward to getting back on the court.”

Widely viewed as one of the greatest college basketball players in history, Ionescu is hoped to become a household WNBA name who attracts attention from viewers who have ignored the league in the past.