One of the best basketball players to ever graduate from the University of Oregon was set to make her return to Portland’s Moda Center next week.

But an injured left foot will keep Sabrina Ionescu on the sideline when her current WNBA team, the New York Liberty, take on the Portland Fire on May 12 and 14. However, fans of the 2019-20 Oregon Ducks will get to see another star: Satou Sabally joined the star-studded Liberty in April.

“Adding Satou to a pretty loaded roster already is really exciting,” Breanna Stewart, power forward for the Liberty and two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player, told reporters on Wednesday. “I think that the biggest part from that is now, when it looks good on paper, making it actually look good on the court — and we’ve all really been invested in doing that in training camp and having a selfless mentality.”

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Stewart, a 10-year veteran and seven-time All-Star, said Sabally adds size and versatility for the Liberty on both ends of the court. Since joining the WNBA, Sabally has been named an All-Star three times and was the 2023 Most Improved Player.

Sabally and Ionescu last played at the Moda Center when they were Oregon teammates in March 2019. That year, the Ducks played in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament in the Portland region, but lost in the Final Four.

The following year — the last season Sabally and Ionescu played at UO — the global pandemic forced the NCAA to cancel the national tournament. The Ducks were widely predicted to play in the championship game that year had the tournament proceeded. Still, the pair had something to celebrate: Ionescu was the No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick in April 2020; Sabally was No. 2.

Fans have waited more than six years to see the two play together in Oregon — and they’ll have to wait even longer. On Wednesday, the head coach of the New York Liberty Chris DeMarco confirmed that Ionescu is out at least through May 17.

“Left foot injury,” DeMarco told reporters Wednesday. “I think we’ll evaluate in 11 to 12 days. That’s all the information I have right now.”

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To this day, Ionescu holds a special record in sports history. While at the University of Oregon she recorded 26 triple-doubles — games in which she simultaneously reached double digits in three categories (points, rebounds and assists).

That’s the most triple-double games ever recorded by one player in men’s or women’s college basketball. The runner up is Caitlin Clark, former Iowa standout and current Indiana Fever guard, at 17.

Despite the current injury, Stewart told reporters that Ionescu has still been active at Liberty practices and that she’s in good spirits.

“She wants to be around because every day we’re adding new stuff, really making sure that when she is able to jump back into things, she’s really able to make a smooth transition into that,” Stewart said, adding with a smile, “And she enjoys us.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/06/sabrina-ionescu-portland-fire-injury/