Oregon Professional Athletes

New York's Duck Pair Makes Noise Down the Stretch

With four regular-season games left and playoff seeding on the line, Oregon's fingerprints are all over the New York Liberty's push — and the bigger WNBA storylines of the week.

Sabrina Ionescu delivered her most complete performance of the post-World Cup stretch Friday, dropping 17 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals in New York's 93–81 victory over the Minnesota Lynx. Her plus-minus of +15 told the story of a player who controlled the game in every phase. Ionescu had set the tone ahead of the resumed season, warning that the Liberty couldn't lean on the World Cup break as an excuse — and she backed it up. The win extended Minnesota's losing streak and tightened the Liberty's grip on a top seed.

The backdrop to Ionescu's strong week, however, carries a bittersweet edge. Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream drained a three-pointer against the Connecticut Sun to surpass Ionescu's mark for the most three-pointers made in a single WNBA season — a record Ionescu had previously held. Ionescu reacted publicly to the milestone, and the WNBA world took note. It's a record that slipped away quietly during the World Cup break, but it doesn't dim what has been a historically efficient shooting season for the Oregon alum.

From Waiver Wire to Roster Lock

The more unexpected Oregon story this week belongs to Anneli Maley. The Liberty center, who initially believed her stint with the team was finished, received a call that turned out to be the opposite of a release — a promotion to a full-season contract as an injury replacement. "I've been promoted," Maley said, capturing the whiplash of the moment. She appeared in Friday's win over Minnesota as New York continued to manage its roster through the final stretch of the regular season. For a player who had to claw her way onto the roster, earning a guaranteed contract with a contending team is a significant career moment — and good news for Duck fans tracking alumni at the pro level.

Elsewhere in Duck Country

Outside the Liberty, Holly Winterburn had an active week for the Portland Fire, scoring 18 points with 2 steals in a narrow 91–94 loss to Phoenix on Friday before adding 8 points and 3 rebounds in a Saturday setback against Golden State. The effort was there; the wins weren't.

Nyara Sabally suited up for Toronto against Indiana on Friday, though she did not register counting stats in the box score in a tough 85–103 loss for the Tempo.

The Liberty remain the flagship story for Oregon alumni this week — a star guard who won't let a lost record define a strong season, and a reserve center whose career just leveled up in the best way possible.

The Injury That Changes Everything

The news had been building for months. On Thursday, the New York Liberty made it official: Satou Sabally is done for the 2026 WNBA season — playoffs included.

The former Oregon Duck forward, who entered the year as a centerpiece of what the Liberty billed as a "Big Four," has been sidelined since June 23, when she took a blow to the head and face during a game against the Las Vegas Aces. It was her second concussion in just over eight months. The first came in October 2025, during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals while she was still playing for the Phoenix Mercury. She played just 13 games in Liberty orange before the injury chain ended her season.

Head coach Chris DeMarco had signaled this outcome weeks earlier, announcing that Sabally was stepping away from the team indefinitely to focus on her recovery. The formal ruling-out closes the chapter — and with it, a significant portion of New York's championship ceiling. Sabally was the team's marquee offseason acquisition outside of its returning core, and the Liberty now enter the postseason without her at 24-16 with four regular-season games remaining.

The Liberty have already made roster moves in response to the news, adjusting their depth to account for the void she leaves at forward.

Ionescu's Slump Adds to Liberty Concerns

The Sabally news isn't the only thing complicating New York's stretch run. Fellow Duck and Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu is mired in a shooting slump that has drawn league-wide attention. In a recent win over the Chicago Sky — an 85-66 rout — Ionescu went 0-for-10 from the field, contributing next to nothing offensively despite a dominant team performance.

Ionescu has pushed back on the noise. "I know who I am," she said publicly, framing the slump as "not that big of a deal" given the games left to find her rhythm before the postseason. The four-time All-Star has a track record that backs her confidence, but with the Liberty already shorthanded and entering the FIBA World Cup break with questions unanswered, the pressure to re-emerge sharp is real. Liberty observers are watching closely to see if the break helps reset her shot.

Around the League

Holly Winterburn logged minutes for the Atlanta Fire on August 30 in a 69-86 loss to the Valkyries, finishing with 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal in a limited role.

The bigger picture for Oregon fans this week is a sobering one. Two of the program's most prominent WNBA representatives — both on the same team — are navigating their own turbulence as the season reaches its most critical stretch. Sabally's season is over. Ionescu's redemption arc is still being written.

Oregon Ducks in the WNBA | Week of Aug. 23–29

Six straight playoff appearances. That's the milestone New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and her teammates punched in during a week that was equal parts drama, rivalry theater, and a sobering loss to the league's hottest team.

Ionescu at the Center of Everything

The biggest moment of Ionescu's week came Saturday, Aug. 23, when the Liberty hosted the Indiana Fever in front of 17,500 fans at Barclays Center — many of whom had traveled coast to coast for a glimpse of Caitlin Clark. It didn't go the way the Fever faithful had hoped. New York won the high-scoring affair, and Ionescu made sure to notice the crowd's shift in energy. "They weren't loud for very long," she said afterward — a line that cut through the noise as cleanly as any crossover she's thrown this season.

The Liberty then ran into a buzzsaw Friday, Aug. 28, falling to the Golden State Valkyries 79–60. Ionescu was limited to 7 points, 4 assists, and a minus-17 plus/minus in what she acknowledged felt like an unfinished piece of business — she said she doesn't feel like she's gotten a true crack at Golden State this season, a comment that carries extra weight with a potential playoff matchup on the horizon. The rematch conversation is already brewing.

New York rebounded Saturday, Aug. 29, topping the Chicago Sky 85–66. Ionescu's scoring line was modest (2 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds), but she stayed a plus-9 and the Liberty got the job done. Anneli Maley, the other Oregon alumna suiting up for New York, logged minutes in the win as well, finishing at minus-1.

With playoff seeding still in flux heading into the final stretch, the Liberty's bracket positioning is one of the WNBA's most-watched storylines — and Ionescu remains the fulcrum around which that conversation revolves.

Winterburn Producing Across the Pond

Across the league, Holly Winterburn (Chicago Fire) had her best statistical showing of the period on Friday, Aug. 28, posting 11 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, a steal, and a block in a Fire loss to the Dream. It was a bright individual showing in an otherwise difficult stretch for Chicago, which also dropped games to the Wings on Aug. 26 and the Mystics on Aug. 23.

Nyara Sabally: Limited Availability

Nyara Sabally suited up for the Golden State Tempo in both of her team's games this week — a loss to the Storm (78–90) on Aug. 27 and a loss to the Aces (78–88) on Aug. 23 — but no individual statistics were available for either outing.

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The bigger picture for Oregon alumni this week is unmistakably Ionescu-shaped. With the postseason approaching, the question isn't whether she'll be on the playoff stage — it's how high the Liberty can climb before they get there, and whether a Valkyries rematch awaits. For Duck fans, that's must-watch television.