If the New York Knicks can pick up seven more wins from their next 11 games, the Big Apple could be a city of champions once again. Last November, the New York Liberty did their part, claiming their first WNBA title in their sixth Finals appearance.
That Finals triumph was due in no small part to Sabrina Ionescu, the 2020 first overall pick who has blossomed into a star in the last three seasons, earning All-WNBA honors and cementing her status as one of faces of the league. So far this season, she’s averaging 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
Tonight, the Liberty will welcome the Golden State Valkyries to Barclays Center for a 7 p.m. ET clash. The Valkyries have gotten off to a hot start as a franchise, winning two of their first three games.
New York is a 17.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the point total set for 162.5. Below, I’ve detailed my favorite prop bets centered around Ionescu.
Best Sabrina Ionescu Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Sabrina Ionescu 3+ Three-Pointers Made (-105)
Ionescu hasn’t yet made more than two three-pointers in any game this season, but it’s only a matter of time before she does. She attempted eight in the 90-88 win over the Indiana Fever on Saturday, which should have been enough volume for her to make at least three, given her career 36.1% accuracy. As long as shooting variance swings back her way, she should get plenty of volume. Despite all the talent on her team — she plays alongside two All-WNBA forwards in Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones — she leads the team in usage rate.
Golden State has been especially impressive defensively in the early going, posting the league’s second-best defensive rating so far. But the Valkyries, led by ninth overall pick Carla Leite and veteran Kayla Thornton, have played at the league’s third-fastest pace, giving Ionescu plenty of opportunities to put up shots. Golden State hasn’t allowed a lot of three-point attempts, but when opponents have attempted them, they’ve gone in at a 35.4% clip, the second-highest in the league. Plus, while the Valkyries have allowed just 18.7 assists per game — the sixth-most in the league, but just 1.5 more than the league-leading Washington Mystics — 75% of Ionescu’s threes have been unassisted.
Sabrina Ionescu U3.5 Rebounds (+120)
Golden State has also controlled the boards remarkably well, allowing the fewest offensive rebounds and fourth-fewest total rebounds so far this season. That’s probably sustainable, given that six of the 10 players who have averaged more than 10 minutes per game for the Valkyries so far are over six feet tall and given that head coach Natalie Nakase has emphasized an up-tempo, aggressive style on both sides of the ball. Prior to joining Golden State, Nakase was also an assistant coach for a Las Vegas Aces team that posted top three rebounding percentages in the playoffs in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, winning a championship in each season.
