Sabrina Ionescu out at least two weeks — Grade 3 ankle sprain

Sabrina Ionescu rolled her left ankle on a layup attempt in Saturday's preseason finale at Mohegan Sun, stayed on the floor in pain, and Liberty fans held their breath until Tuesday. The MRI came back as a Grade 3 sprain — the bad kind, but not the season-ending kind.

The verdict: at least two weeks out, reevaluation after that. She'll miss New York's regular season opener Friday at Barclays vs. Connecticut and a minimum of the Liberty's first four games. Worst part — it's the same left ankle that ended her 2020 rookie year and required surgery to clean up scar tissue.

New York was the betting favorite to repeat. They still might be. But asking Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones to carry the offense through a four-game gauntlet without their primary creator is the kind of soft start that costs you a one-seed in October. The Liberty's title window doesn't close in May — but the margin gets thinner every game Ionescu's in street clothes.