The New York Liberty are off to a perfect start in their quest to defend the title. However, Sabrina Ionescu has not yet come along for the ride.
Over her past three campaigns, Ionescu has averaged 17.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. She’s earned Second Team All-WNBA honors in each of those three seasons. Sab is averaging just 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists through four games this year, so why the drop in production?
Some of it is due to the quality of the Liberty and their opponents. Two of their four victories have been 25+ point blowouts in which Ionescu played a combined 47 minutes. Their closest contest, a game against the Fever, saw her play 37 minutes with a more typical 23-point, five-rebound, four-assist stat line. Still, her efficiency has been down and is becoming a real question for the 4-0 Liberty.
Adjusting to new backcourt mate Natasha Cloud is another significant factor. The defensive dynamo is actually exploding offensively and putting up the stats we’re used to seeing from Sabrina. This isn’t some changing of the guard; Ionescu will always be the driving initiator behind this offense. What makes more sense is that Ionescu has been deferential to her new teammate and it’s thrown her off somewhat. Thursday’s game against the expansion-team Valkyries is a good spot to get right.
The Liberty are 18-point favorites at home and are -2800 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 163.5 points. Let’s look at the best Ionescu prop bet for this contest.
Best Sabrina Ionescu Prop Bets
Sabrina Ionescu 25+ Points + Rebounds + Assists (-120)
Something has to give eventually. Players this talented don’t get held down for very long. This game should be a bit more competitive than their matchup on Tuesday, which ended 95-67. Ionescu recorded only eight points, five rebounds, and six assists in the blowout win.
If she plays with increased usage, Ionescu can contribute the stat line that we know her for. Against a Valkyries team with a competitive defense and feisty spirit, the Liberty may take longer than expected to put this one away, giving Sabrina more opportunities to pad her stats.
