EUGENE, Ore. – New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu (ee-uh-neh-skoo) shines in her return to her alma mater as they defeat the Toyota Antelopes in their final preseason game, 84-61. Ionescu and Nyara Sabally (Knee-ARE-uh SAH-buh-lee), both Oregon Ducks alums, returned to Matthew Knight Arena for the first time since departing and showed out in front of over 12,000 fans. In a tightly contested game through the first three quarters, it took an old college tradition for the Liberty to pull away. As the WNBA regular season commences, New York has shown why they are the reigning champion this preseason. 

The Antelopes sent a message that they would be competitive, only trailing the Liberty 22-20 after the first quarter. Maika Miura (Maika MEE-oo-rah) scored five of her 16 points in the first period. Yuuna Onodera (YOU-na Oh-nah-der-uh) scored five points in the quarter while dishing out four assists. Breanna Stewart made her preseason debut for New York, scoring eight of her 16 points in the quarter. She was limited to 15 minutes while she still recovers from offseason meniscus surgery. Jonquel Jones also commanded the paint in the first period, scoring six points. Toyota presented a small lineup, and the Liberty’s frontcourt stars took advantage. While the forwards for New York starred in the opening portion, their guards joined the party in the second quarter.    

As the teams entered the locker room, the Liberty extended their lead, 43-37. Their French guard Marine Johannès (MAH-reen JOH-han-nehs) scored eight points in the quarter, 10 overall. She also recorded two assists, two rebounds, and one block in the contest. Mana Kaneda (mah-nah kah-neh-dah) scored six points off two three-pointers, to go with one rebound, one assist, and one steal. She finished with 10 points and three steals in the loss. Although New York finished the half with a bigger lead, the Antelopes were still competitive. After both teams exited the locker rooms, the Liberty relied on their stars to gain the ultimate edge.  

The third quarter ended with the Liberty taking a 62-51 lead. Ionescu led the team with six points in the period, to go with one rebound and one assist. Kennedy Burke scored four points in the quarter, to go with three rebounds in the win. For the Antelopes, Moe Nagata (Nuh-got-uh) scored six of her eight points in the quarter. Susan Amaka Okonkwo (ok-on-kwo) also contributed with her four points in eight minutes. As all games played in Eugene, Oregon do, the fourth quarter started with the song, Shout by the Isley (Ize-lee) Brothers. With the crowd singing along, Ionescu used her favorite tradition as fuel for a final takeoff.   

The Liberty ended the game with a win thanks to the Ducks legend, as she scored 11 of her 25 points in the fourth period. She was given many opportunities by her teammates to hit multiple three-pointers, capitalizing on six of her nine attempts. Ionescu ended her night in Eugene in the best way, nailing her final shot from the half-court logo, followed by an erupting crowd. Sabally was also acknowledged, finishing with seven points, five rebounds, and two steals. As her and Ionescu ended the preseason with a win, they did so while bidding a final farewell to the place they once called home.