Liberty Star Sabrina Ionescu Undergoes Birthday Surgery

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu is closing her year with a thumbs up.

Oct 20, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Lynx in game five of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu bid farewell to her 27th year with a literal thumbs up.

The newly-minted WNBA champion revealed in an Instagram post that she underwent a successful thumb procedure on her birthday on Friday, which was set to repair a UCL injury that partly hobbled her during the Liberty's title run.

"Getting my thumb fixed was quite the bday present," Ionescu quipped in the caption.

The procedure capped off an eventful 365 days for Ionescu, who earned all kinds of hardware en route to officially turning 27: she married her collegiate beau and fellow Oregon Ducks athletic legend Hroniss Grasu and later found gold in Paris when she partook in the United States' women's national basketball team's latest first-place run.

"Married my best friend, won a gold medal, and a WNBA championship, all in the same year. God is good," Ionescu acknowledged. "Beyond grateful for everything this year had to offer, and thankful for everyone a part of my circle."

Some of Ionescu's final days as a 26-year-old were spent on the WNBA's grandest stage, as she helped the Liberty come out front in a five-game Finals set with the Minnesota Lynx. Though Ionescu's trademark deep shooting wasn't as prevalent as it was on the road to the championship, she nonetheless launched one of the most famous sinks in WNBA history, a victorious three-pointer that provided the winning margin in Game 3 of the series at Target Center.

Ionescu's injury was first reported by Alexa Phillippou of ESPN. During several championship tour appearances such as the Liberty's ticker-tape parade in Manhattan, Barclays Center for Brooklyn Nets games, and a return to her alma mater of Oregon, the hand in question was seen adorned in varying degrees of dressing.

Ionescu's quest for a repeat begins next spring when the Liberty open their first title defense against the Las Vegas Aces.

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