Oregon Ducks Star Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty Have Second Shot at WNBA Title

Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu fulfilled her revenge quest over former Washington Huskies guard Kelsey Plum by pushing her and the Las Vegas Aces out of the playoffs. Now, New York Liberty leader Ionescu gets her second chance at the coveted WNBA championship.

Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) celebrates during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals against the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks icon Sabrina Ionescu sought out revenge from last postseason's disappointment after falling to the Las Vegas Aces in the 2023 WNBA Finals. This postseason, the New York Liberty and their lead guard toppled the defending champs in the semifinals to punch their ticket to the 2024 WNBA championship.

Now, standing in Ionescu's way of her first ring is forward Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx.

Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) falls into the stands after getting fouled in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Aces during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Ionescu has brought a West Coast flair to the WNBA and the Liberty. That's in thanks to her ability to come off screens and pull up immediately, pretty much anywhere from the floor. That should sound familiar as the Walnut Creek, California native has a connection with the greatest shooter on the planet. Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors and her have been rewriting record books in their respective leagues for a while now.

During this postseason run, Ionescu has averaged a team-leading 20.7 points per game on shooting splits of 48.9 field goal percentage/46.5 three-point percentage/ 94.7 free throw percentage and 5.2 rebounds per game. She also is the team leader in steals per game at 5.3 and steals per game with 1.5.

She's picked the mind of her teammate Courtney Vandersloot, known as one of the greatest point guards in WNBA history. The Gonzaga alum may come off the bench for the Liberty now and may not contribute as much as she did in her younger years, but Vandersloot has molded Ionescu into a more refined player. The difference is extremely noticeable for the Oregon Duck in this postseason run for the Liberty.

If you look at New York's road to a WNBA championship now, they have been through a tough stretch to just get to this point. Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum has gone fishing but Minnesota's forward Collier looks to be an even tougher assignment. She leads the WNBA during the postseason in points with 27.1 per game, fourth in rebounds with 9.6 per game, and is tied for fourth in blocks with 2.0 per game.

Regardless, New York and Ionescu are favored to take home its first championship in franchise history. According to FanDuel, the Liberty have the best odds to win the WNBA Finals over the Lynx at -275. Minnesota is +225 underdogs to prevail, seeking their fifth title in franchise history.

New York's Breanna Stewart opens as the Finals MVP favorite at +110 while Ionescu is right behind her at +200. Minnesota's Collier stands at +270 odds to win the honor.

Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Liberty and the Lynx takes place in New York on Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. PT.

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