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New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu takes shot at Knicks while rightfully putting sports world on notice

By Jeff Smith | Last updated 9/16/23

The 2023 WNBA Playoffs are officially underway, which means some of the most talented players on the planet will be center stage over the coming weeks in the pursuit of a championship. According to the odds (and based on their performance during the regular season), two teams currently stand as the heavy favorites to win the WNBA title — the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty.

Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu wasted no time emerging as one of the league’s best players after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft, and led her team to a 32-8 record this season, putting them behind only the Aces in terms of odds-on favorites to win it all.

And ahead of the push for this year’s title, Ionescu had a message for critics and fans who view New York sports as “depressing,” and specifically had a quick slam on the New York Knicks in the process, as SNYtv Liberty revealed.

"We'll be able to shut up those people on Twitter that have anything to say about what's been going on with New York sports because as far as I'm concerned, we've been playing the best basketball that's been played in New York City for a very long time. Whether people recognize it or not, they will in the next couple weeks,“ Ionescu said.

"We'll be able to shut up those people on Twitter that have anything to say about what's been going on with New York sports. As far as I'm concerned, we've been playing the best basketball that's been played in New York City for a very long time."

- Sabrina Ionescu pic.twitter.com/FkloaJ93yX
— New York Liberty Videos (@SNYLiberty) September 15, 2023

It’s hard to argue with this statement from the 25-year-old point guard, at least based on recent seasons and absolutely when looking at this year. The Liberty have made the playoffs in each of the past three years, however, they bowed out in the first round in 2021 and 2022.

But after winning 80 percent of their regular-season games in 2023, this is unquestionably the best position a professional sports team in New York has been in to potentially win a title in recent memory. Looking back at history, New York City FC won the MLS title in 2021, but beyond that, you’d have to look back at the Giants winning the Super Bowl in 2011 and the Yankees being crowned as World Series champions in 2009.

As for the Knicks, they last won the NBA Finals in 1972-73, and haven’t made it back since the 1998-99 season, when they fell to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the series.

For good measure, if Ionescu can continue her stellar play from the regular season in which she averaged 17 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and an incredible 44.8 percent from three-point range, there’s a real chance they could also bring a championship to New York.

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