Fansided

Sabrina Ionescu gets her first WNBA triple-double in Liberty win

By Natalie Abele

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 14: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty in action against the Indiana Fever at Barclays Center on May 14, 2021 in New York City. The Liberty defeated the Fever 90-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 14: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty in action against the Indiana Fever at Barclays Center on May 14, 2021 in New York City. The Liberty defeated the Fever 90-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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It took Sabrina Ionescu just six WNBA games to notch her first career triple-double.

Sabrina Ionescu reached another impressive milestone Tuesday night while leading the New York Liberty to a 86-75 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.

The 2020 No. 1 draft pick lit up the boxscore with 26 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, marking the first-ever triple-double by a Liberty player and just the ninth in WNBA history (10th including the playoffs).

It’s also the first time in 14 years the Liberty have started a season 3-0.

Sabrina Ionescu scores ninth triple-double in WNBA league history

With her performance tonight, Ionescu pulled off one of basketball’s rarest feats earlier in her career than any other WNBA player before her. Back in 1999, Houston Comets legend Sheryl Swoopes scored the W’s first triple-double in her third season as a pro.

It’s all too familiar for hoops fans who followed Ionescu during her collegiate career at the University of Oregon. She was a triple-double machine during her four years as a Duck, accomplishing the feat 26 times. That’s more than any other athlete — male or female — in the history of NCAA basketball.

Liberty fans will be pleased to know that Ionescu has never lost a game in which she’s recorded a triple-double.

Some basketball analysts wondered whether the 5-foot-11 point guard would be as effective at rebounding once she arrived in the WNBA, where the game is more physical and the average player is bit taller. On that note, we’d point out that it took Ionescu seven games in a Ducks jersey before hitting her first NCAA triple-double. It’s admittedly a very small sample size, but she’s also averaging seven rebounds per game to start the season, along with a league-leading nine assists per contest.

In two games at the Barclays Center, Ionescu has a game-winning buzzer beater and a triple- double. Clearly, she’s ready for the bright lights of the Big Apple. It’s no wonder people are already calling Ionescu the Queen of New York.

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