Injury-hit Liberty make two hardship signings before opener

NEW YORK — The liberty are beginning their thirtieth season with a short-handed roster, making a pair of signings Friday simply to fill out the squad.

Sabrina Ionescu is out with a left foot harm she suffered Sunday in a preseason recreation in opposition to the Connecticut Sun. Rebecca Allen you have got a left leg harm, Satou Sabally has a cyst, and all three are out for the Liberty’s regular-season opener in opposition to the Sun.

“It’s going to be day to day,” first-year Liberty coach Chris DeMarco mentioned of Sabally, who was a key free agent signing this offseason.

DeMarco wasn’t certain if Sabally would journey for the three-game street journey New York has after Friday evening’s opener. Ionescu is out for a few weeks, whereas Allen may play this weekend.

New York can also be lacking Raquel Carrera and Leonie Fiebichwho’re fulfilling their abroad commitments and are not with the workforce.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will probably be enjoying her first recreation in additional than a yr after lacking final season whereas recovering from an acute meniscus tear in her left knee for which she had surgical procedure in March 2025.

The Liberty signed Julie Vanloo and Aubrey Griffin to hardship contracts hours before their season opener as a result of they’d solely seven gamers obtainable.

Vanloo caught a flight from Los Angeles after she was waived by the Sparks and landed at 1 am She studied the playbook on the six-hour flight to New York and took as a lot as she might on the workforce’s morning shootaround.

The course of to get to New York was a little bit smoother than final season, when the purpose guard was reduce by the Golden State Valkyries in early July after which he was picked up by the Sparks on waivers. She needed to wait exterior of Barclays Center that day till two hours before the sport, when she lastly cleared waivers and will be part of Los Angeles.

This time she was escorted proper into the constructing by her new workforce. She did must take a minute to determine the place the house locker room was after speaking to the media.

“Super relieved to have this chance. I’m super grateful for that,” Vanloo mentioned. “I’m very excited to play in Barclays. It’s always been my favorite road trip. So happy to be in the home court and the home locker.”

Griffin, who grew up about 45 minutes from Barclays Center, can have an opportunity to play near residence in her first profession WNBA recreation. She was drafted in 2025 by the Minnesota Lynx within the third spherical however missed the season after having surgical procedure on his left knee.

“Super grateful that I get to come back home and I’m here around family. It feels nice,” Griffin mentioned.

She mentioned she bought the decision Thursday evening that New York was including her to the roster.

“It’s been such a crazy 24 hours,” Griffin mentioned. “When I heard the news, I was just very excited to be given this opportunity and just come here and just play honestly.”