New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu claimed fixing her thumb was quite the birthday present as the WNBA champion celebrated turning 27.
Ionescu has been battling a torn ulnar collateral ligament in her right thumb throughout the offseason. She sustained a high-grade UCL tear in her right hand – her shooting hand – in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.
Ionescu continued to play, battling through the injury to lead the Liberty to the first championship in franchise history. In Game 5, she led the Liberty with 8 assists and 7 rebounds but shot 1-of-19 as the UCL, located on the inside edge of the thumb near where the thumb meets the palm, derailed her offensive game.
Her injury was not publicly known until after the Liberty had defeated the Minnesota Lynx in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. She finished the series with 12.4 points per game, as well as 5.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds on 29 percent shooting from the floor.
The Liberty star turned 27 on Friday and posted on social media of herself on a hospital bed after the procedure. The caption read: “26, thank you. Married my best friend, won a gold medal, and a WNBA championship all in the same year. God is good.
“Beyond grateful for everything this year had to offer, and thankful for everyone a part of my circle. 27… Lets get it! ps: getting my thumb fixed was quite the bday present.”
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The procedure capped off an eventful 12 months for Ionescu, who checked off a number of milestones during her 27th year. She married her collegiate beau and fellow Oregon Ducks athletic legend Hroniss Grasu before triumphing at the Paris Olympics with USA Basketball.
Conducted by operating surgeon Dr. Steven S. Shin, the procedure was considered a success. Ionescu has begun rehabilitation and is estimated to return to on-court activity in approximately four weeks.
Ionescu is considered one of the greatest collegiate players in history. The former Oregon star was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, and she was the Libertys second-leading scorer in the playoffs with 16.9 points per game en route to helping New York seal a first championship.
After clinching Olympic gold with Team USA in Paris, Ionescu earned second-team All-WNBA recognition. Despite being linked with a place in Unrivaled, the new lucrative 3×3 league set to be staged in Miami that was co-founded by WNBA All-Stars Napheesa Collier and her Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart, Ionescu is expected to sit out and focus on rehab ahead of the 2025 season.
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