The New York Liberty took home the WNBA championship last season. And looking to continue with their good work, the Liberty would want to have yet another title-winning run. Earlier this year, the Liberty clinched the playoffs despite their injury woes. Unfortunately, after playing their second game in the playoffs, things are looking quite somber. And Sabrina Ionescu has some game-changing adjustments.
The defending champion faced off against the Phoenix Mercury in the playoffs. And quite expectedly, Game 1 of the best-of-three series went in Liberty’s favor. But with Mercury responding with a strong showing, the likes of Ionescu had some interesting ideas.
Sabrina Ionescu Wants More Intensity From Her Teammates
After a dominant Game One victory, the Liberty expected yet another easy game against the Mercury. And this is exactly where the team went wrong. With the Mercury coming out all guns blazing, the defending champions looked pretty clueless. While the Mercury reigned supreme with an 86-60 win, Ionescu was pretty straightforward on what the team needed to do.
“We can’t go out and play the same way we did and expect a different result. We have to make the adjustments and play like our season is on the line, because it is,” said Ionescu.
Mercury just DOMINATED the Liberty to force a Game 3 🤯
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 18, 2025
Series tied 1-1 — Winner-takes-all ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Vy8q90uoqz
Well, that was not all from the Liberty star. She also stated that after the fans had supported the team so much throughout the season, a first-round playoff exit must now be how their season ended. Instead, she urged her teammates to put their all in and salvage the season. Meanwhile, speaking about Ionescu, exhaustion is surely a big issue for her. After her 43-minute opening game, Ionescu could be spotted dozing. And such a problem was already highlighted by a WNBA analyst.
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WNBA Analyst Had An Exhaustion Warning For Sabrina Ionescu
Ionescu had a great game in their first meeting against the Mercury. However, despite having a solid game, the 27-year-old star also bore the brunt of playing 43 minutes as the game went into overtime. Now, with Breanna Stewart suffering an injury in the last game, Ionescu would have added responsibility in Game 2. And this is where Caroline Fenton felt that things might go a bit wrong for the Liberty star.
Speaking on the recent episode of Hoops 360, Fenton stated how Ionescu will have to take a road trip to Phoenix. And immediately after, she will be travelling back to New York for the final game. And while the series is at 1-1, added stress is the last thing Ionescu would want. Unfortunately, with no other options left, the Liberty star will have to power through. And as their championship is now at stake, it’s do or die for the New York Liberty.