Aug 28, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (not in uniform) cheers from the bench in the third quarter against the Washington Mystics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

New York Liberty Make Sabrina Ionescu Decision vs Valkyries on Tuesday

Originally posted on Golden State Valkyries on SI
By Will Despart | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 9:01 PM ET

The New York Liberty will be without one of their most important pieces for Tuesday's game against the Golden State Valkyries, as star point guard Sabrina Ionescu was ruled out with a toe injury just two hours before tip-off.

Tuesday's matchup could prove vital for both teams in the expiring WNBA playoff race, as the Valkyries are just 2.5 games behind the Liberty for the No. 5 seed. While Golden State would inch closer to that No. 5 seed with a win, they moreso need a positive result to maintain what is currently a half-game cushion over the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm, who occupy the bottom two seeds.

Sabrina Ionescu is OUT tonight and considered day-to-day

Nyara Sabally will dress, take warmups, but will not play#WNBA #LightItUpNYL
— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) September 3, 2025

Ionescu has missed the Liberty's last two games after suffering the injury in an 81-79 win over the Connecticut Sun on Aug. 25. It's an especially unfortunate game for Ionescu to miss as a Walnut Creek native and one of the Bay Area's most beloved basketball exports.

"This is her hometown and she has great support here," Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said before Tuesday's game. "It's a great arena to play in, very similar to our arena. Sabrina has done so much all over the country but this is where it all began for her."

Sprinting To The Finish

The way Natalie Nakase's group of Valkyries expansion draftees have performed this season should make it mostly unsurprising that they have gotten hot at just the right time in this playoff race. Golden State has won three games in a row and seven of their last 10 to keep themselves afloat and in a relatively decent position compared to where they could have been had a few things been different.

Counting Tuesday's game against the Liberty that tips off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in San Francisco, the Valkyries have five games remaining in the regular season. Two of those games happen to be against the Minnesota Lynx team that has already clinched first place, which could be a fortunate or unfortunate matchup depending on whether they rest their starters or not.

take that to the bank. @Rakuten | Arrivals pic.twitter.com/WyR5tjSzoW
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) September 3, 2025

Given the fact that four of Golden State's five remaining games come against the No. 1 seed Lynx and another likely playoff team in the Seattle Storm makes Tuesday's game against the shorthanded Liberty all the more crucial. The Valkyries do get one more game against the Dallas Wings, who are a loss away from setting the all-time losses record for a single regular season.

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This article first appeared on Golden State Valkyries on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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