Major Sabrina Ionescu Announcement Made Amid Liberty-Fever Game

One of the most anticipated matchups of the early WNBA season tipped off Saturday as the defending champion New York Liberty, led by Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, traveled to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to face Caitlin Clark and the new-look Indiana Fever.

The Fever, who hired head coach Stephanie White this offseason, rebuilt their roster around Clark while retaining key core players such as Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Lexie Hull.

The Liberty made a major move of their own in the offseason, acquiring veteran guard Natasha Cloud in a blockbuster deal. Cloud has already made a significant impact early in the season.

Following a competitive first quarter between the two teams, a historic milestone was reached. After knocking down two three-pointers and scoring eight points in the opening period, Sabrina Ionescu officially passed Becky Hammon to become the fourth all-time leading scorer in Liberty franchise history, with 2,369 points and counting.

Ionescu was informed of the historic milestone during her end-of-first-quarter interview—and to her surprise, she had no idea she had broken the record. Still, she embraced the moment with her trademark calm focus.

"That's pretty cool, I guess. I had no idea," Ionescu said. "But I'm just focused on the game."