"Doing what she's always done": Sabrina Ionescu tips her hat to rookie sensation Paige Bueckers

Sabrina Ionescu matched up against rookie sensation Paige Bueckers during the New York Liberty’s 92-82 loss to the Dallas Wings. The Wings rookie outshined the Liberty star with a poised, efficient and well-rounded performance, further solidifying her case as the leading contender for Rookie of the Year.

Ionescu wasn’t surprised by Bueckers’ standout showing. When asked about the Wings rookie, the Liberty point guard noted that Bueckers is simply continuing what she did throughout her college career, playing to her strengths and excelling with confidence.

"I mean, she's just doing what she's always done to be honest," Ionescu said after the game. "Not surprised by the way that she's played her rookie year. She's done it throughout her entire college career. Obviously, just her ability to kind of just stay steady and knowing what her strengths are and how she can get to her spots on the court."

Paige Bueckers set the tone early for the Dallas Wings, who dominated the first half to take a commanding 63-36 lead at halftime. Despite the Liberty’s efforts to mount a second-half comeback, the Wings held firm to secure an impressive victory.

Bueckers delivered a stellar all-around performance, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in 30 minutes. She shot an efficient 7 of 12 from the field, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range, while going a perfect 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.

Sabrina Ionescu urges her teammates to be better

Despite holding the second-best record in the league at 17-8, the New York Liberty were handed a convincing loss by the Dallas Wings, one of the league’s bottom-ranked teams at 8-19. Sabrina Ionescu didn’t offer any excuses for her team’s disappointing performance on Monday, acknowledging the reality of their poor showing.

"...there's no excuse for how we came out... Any team can beat anyone in this league, and we were able to see that tonight," Ionescu said.

Individually, Ionescu also had a tough night from beyond the arc, shooting just 1-of-5 from three. She finished the game with 17 points, four rebounds, and five assists, but also committed five turnovers.

Edited by Atishay Jain