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Supporting Sabrina Ionescu and Liberty is something New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets fans can really agree on, especially now during the WNBA playoffs. Liberty took a 1-0 lead over the Mystics on Friday and could finish the series with another win on Tuesday.
New York posted a 32-8 record in the regular season, the second-best in the league and the best in franchise history. Jonathan Kolb was named the 2023 WNBA Executive of the Year, the first time anyone in the Liberty organization has won the award.
Breanna Stewart’s first full season with the Liberty could result in her second MVP title and third WNBA championship after winning two with the Storm.
It may be the dead end of the NBA offseason, but basketball fans in New York have been spoiled by seeing the Liberty up close.
If New York beats Washington, the team will face either Connecticut or Minnesota in the semifinals, a best-of-five series. WNBA fans are crossing their fingers for a Liberty-Aces Finals matchup, which is what will happen if New York advances from the second round.
Given the success and hype surrounding the Liberty, it’s no surprise that Ionescu said his team is playing the best basketball the city has seen in a long time.
Knicks fans shouldn’t worry about Sabrina Ionescu’s claim about New York basketball
Let’s reverse roles for a minute. If it had been Jalen Brunson saying what Sabrina Ionescu said, Knicks fans would have hung on every word. Some fans wouldn’t have even thought about Liberty, either because they don’t follow the WNBA or because they don’t care to do so.
Ionescu’s comments should not be seen as a dig at the Knicks or the Nets. The Knicks are coming off their first second-round playoff appearance in a decade, and reaching the Liberty Finals would be roughly equivalent to that. He remembers that the WNBA playoffs have three rounds compared to the NBA’s four.
The Nets should have played the best basketball the city had seen in a long time with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, except that “dynasty” fizzled out.
The Liberty have already made history this season and fans are hoping the team will make its fifth appearance in the WNBA Finals. New York has an 0-4 record in the Finals and could electrify the city with its first championship. Even Knicks and Nets fans who don’t follow the WNBA closely should want to see that.
Basketball is basketball and the Liberty are playing at a high level. Why shouldn’t the whole city celebrate it?
The truth is, the WNBA is growing, and if the Liberty haven’t caught your attention yet, do yourself a favor and tune in to the playoffs. If you’re lucky, Sabrina Ionescu, who hit seven 3-pointers in Game 1, will put on another show in Game 2. Chances are she will.
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