Sabrina Ionescu Loses It On WNBA Ref During Liberty’s Brutal Loss

In a video going viral on the social media platform X, Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu was caught having an outburst towards the game officiating and, at one point, even demanded the referee to give her e technical foul.

Ionescu was caught screaming at the game refs: “Tech me! Tech me!” 

The game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Liberty indeed with Ionesuc and the team on a loss, as the Sparks pulled off a thrilling 101–99 win against the New York Liberty. The Liberty had tied it up at 99 with 23 seconds left when Rickea Jackson hit a buzzer-beater for the Sparks win.

While New York had just cut a 15-point third-quarter deficit led by Natasha Cloud and Sabrina Ionescu, it would be Los Angeles that seized the decisive last play of the game. Adding insult to injury, Liberty star forward Breanna Stewart had to leave the game early due to injury, and had scored just three points in what she described as a “nightmare” game.

Ionescu ended the night with 30 points on 12-of-22 shooting, but the fun took a wild turn in the third quarter when a screen call wiped out a potential go-ahead three-pointer on what was a Jonquel Jones hand-off. 

It was a heartbreaking moment; however, the Liberty are still second in the WNBA standings at 17–7, while the Sparks improved to 11–14 with their fifth consecutive win.

Sabrina Ionescu Shows Support in Implementing 4-Point Line in WNBA

Sabrina Ionescu said she’s fully behind the idea of adding a permanent 4-point line to WNBA play after showcasing her range during All-Star Weekend.

The New York Liberty star, during the WNBA All-Star Weekend, argued that the league’s sharpshooting depth from beyond the arc makes a fourth scoring zone a natural evolution for the game.

Speaking at the AT&T All-Star Access event in New York, Ionescu praised the charitable twist of the All-Star Game’s experimental 4-point shots—where each made basket translates into a donation of prize money to players’ chosen causes—but sees a permanent line as more than a gimmick.

“I’m super excited, obviously,” she said. “Hopefully, can make a few and be able to donate to my [SI20] Foundation that’s just able to continue to give back to communities that mean a lot to me and impact children. So, I’m really excited for that opportunity as well.”

While she stressed she’s comfortable with the current rules, Sabrina Ionescu reiterated that she’s “always all for” the proposal if the WNBA decides to make it official.