Sabrina Ionescu did not mean to insult Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever after her New York Liberty lost to them on Saturday. Yet her postgame comments have been taken as an attack by fans unaware of her true feelings about the rookie guard, who recorded a triple-double in their latest meeting.
Following the Liberty’s defeat, Ionescu told reporters: “We played ‘Liberty basketball,’ but it’s [important to understand] that this is their Super Bowl game. We’ve beaten them three times already, and we knew they’d come really hungry. It’s tough to beat a team four times.
“It’s just tough in our league, especially with how [Indiana] has just grown, this young team. You’ve been able to see how much they’ve grown throughout the first half of the season. So … we had to just come in with a sense of urgency.”
Some Fever fans on social media reacted to the mention of Saturday’s game being like a “Super Bowl” as a slight of their favorite team, particularly because a New York reporter posted an incomplete version of it that went viral. But Ionescu has made it extremely clear that she’s a staunch ally of Clark. In fact, the Oregon product might be Clark’s biggest supporter among established WNBA stars.
Earlier this year, Ionescu spoke with Clark and encouraged the rookie to reach out whenever needed. Ionescu has left the door open to train with Clark next offseason. As a fellow sharpshooter who entered the WNBA will massive hype, Ionescu feels a kindred spirit with Clark.
“[Ionescu] does see herself as somebody whose path could be similar and actually told me when she came in, she felt a little isolated,” reported Ros Gold-Onwude last month. “That there weren’t vets who necessarily took her under her wing and became her OG.”
So, any suggestion that Ionescu would want to get in a postgame dig at Clark seems far-fetched. Her general frustration with her own team’s performance was evident, though.
The Liberty have heated up in recent weeks, with Ionescu enjoying a surge in shooting efficiency. But she went just 9-of-23 from the floor in Saturday’s 83-78 defeat. Indiana outscored New York by 12 points in the fourth quarter, handing a rare bitter result to Ionescu and Co.
Clark recorded her first career triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. Aliyah Boston, meanwhile, added 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
Perhaps the biggest difference from Indiana’s losses to New York earlier in the campaign and what transpired Saturday was the defensive effort from its players. After the Fever began the season on a historically bad pace in terms of their defensive rating, they’ve made significant strides at that end of the floor in the past two weeks.
They held the Liberty to just 16 points in the fourth quarter and limited the visitors to 10-of-42 shooting from beyond the arc for the game.
News
Mark Wahlberg demands the firing of teachers who remove American flags from classrooms, saying it’s a disrespect to freedom and sacrifice.
Recently, actor and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg has sparked intense debate across the nation with his bold statement demanding the immediate firing of any teacher who removes the American flag from their classroom. Wahlberg’s declaration that “The American flag stands for…
The View has become TV’s top sleep aid! After a ratings plunge, it’s the worst show on American TV!
In the ever-evolving world of television, few shows have faced the kind of dramatic downfall recently experienced by The View. Once a prominent platform for political and cultural discussion, The View has been dubbed the “worst show on American TV”…
Kid Rock stirred controversy with a message aimed at Garth Brooks: “True country stars love the flag! You can’t sing country if you don’t stand by it. Country music is about heart, soul, and patriotism.”
Country music has long been associated with themes of patriotism, tradition, and a deep-seated love for the American flag. Recently, Kid Rock made headlines with a provocative statement seemingly aimed at fellow country star Garth Brooks: “If you don’t love…
Harrison Butker declares, ‘I’ll always stand for our national anthem,’ taking a swipe at protests. Respect versus drama—Butker stands tall!
In the contemporary landscape of professional sports, athletes are often thrust into the center of societal debates, their actions and words echoing far beyond the fields and courts. Harrison Butker, a placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, recently reignited the…
We need fewer Kaepernicks and more Tim Tebows: “Colin Kaepernick tried to throw a football but ended up throwing a political career instead.”
In the realm of sports, athletes often become cultural icons, representing more than just their athletic prowess. Colin Kaepernick and Tim Tebow are two such figures, each embodying different ideals and values that have sparked widespread debate and divided public…
Breaking: Sheryl Swoopes Calls Caitlin Clark A “Bully” & Claims She Didn’t Really Break The NCAA Scoring Record In Hate-Filled Rant
WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes took issue with the discourse every time Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark is fouled and pointed to what happened Sunday with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese. Reese clocked Clark on the head while Clark…
End of content
No more pages to load