Liberty close to full strength as they host Wings

The New York Liberty got Satou Sabally back, and it looks like Sabrina Ionescu will be next.

New York, which will play host to Dallas on Sunday, is coming off an 87-70 loss to visiting Golden State on Thursday. One of the few bright spots for New York in that game was the Liberty debut of Sabally, a free-agent addition who had missed the team's first four games due to a cyst.

Sabally, a three-time All-Star, is still not 100%, and it showed against Golden State as she posted five points, four rebounds and two assists in just 16 minutes.

"There were some ups and downs," Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said of Sabally's performance. "We know what she brings. We're looking forward to having her at full strength."

Ionescu, a four-time All-Star, has yet to play this season due to an injured left foot. But she has been practicing since Monday and told reporters after practice Saturday that she plans on making her season debut in Sunday's matchup against the Wings.

DeMarco expressed optimism after Thursday's game that the Liberty would have Ionescu back sooner rather than later.

"She looks good," DeMarco said. "It's really about the recovery and how she's feeling later in the day and the next day. And so yeah, we're really close there and we're happy with her progress."

The Liberty are also expecting three players back soon: Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who missed the Golden State game due to personal reasons; and Leonie Fiebich and Raquel Carrera, who helped their team win the Spanish League title and have yet to play for New York this year. Laney-Hamilton and Fiebich have extensive experience as Liberty starters.

Dallas is coming off an 86-69 loss at Atlanta on Friday. Dallas led that game with 7:35 left, but Atlanta closed with a 23-5 run.

Dallas coach Jose Fernandez, who is in his first WNBA season following a long run at the University of South Florida, has a talented roster that includes Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale.

Bueckers was the league's Rookie of the Year in 2025, and she also made second-team All-WNBA. Ogunbowale is a four-time All-Star and Dallas' all-time leading scorer.

Yet, they combined for just nine points against Atlanta, making 4-of-24 shots.

Other Wings players to watch include Azzi Fudd and Alanna Smith. Fudd, the league's No. 1 pick this year, is averaging 8.4 points off the bench. Smith, a 6-4 forward, was the league's Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, sharing the honor with A'ja Wilson of Las Vegas.

It will be interesting to watch Fernandez on Sunday. In Friday's game, he drew a technical foul for arguing with officials. He also indicated his team appeared tired.

"We tried a lot of different rotations," Fernandez said. "We were trying to find a spark."

--Field Level Media