New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will be taking part in Unrivaled, a new 3×3 winter basketball league, after all.
Ionescu will join Phantom Basketball Club in the league’s inaugural season, the league said Monday, with Ionescu almost assuredly set to be Unrivaled’s last player addition before it tips off on Jan. 17.
In early December, Ionescu underwent surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in her right thumb, an injury she suffered in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. Still, her timeline to return to the court was approximately four weeks, which would make it possible for her to debut when Unrivaled gets underway.
Ionescu previously told she was weighing joining the league for a variety of reasons. Back in September, as Unrivaled announced the first wave of WNBA stars, Ionescu said she was still thinking about what to do this winter.
“I’ve really enjoyed the offseasons, especially being healthy, and I’ve been able to see how big of a jump I’ve had from one year to the next,” she said, adding that the winter months also feature a busy off-court calendar and allow her to spend more time with her husband.
The league, which is co-founded by Ionescu’s Liberty teammate, Breanna Stewart, and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, aims to keep players fresh and provide a domestic alternative to athletes looking to compete and supplement income during the WNBA offseason. It features most of the WNBA’s top players, and promises to pay the highest average salary in women’s professional sports league history. It will give equity in the league to its inaugural participants.
Phantom has also undergone other roster changes in recent days. Over the weekend, the club, which is coached by former Brooklyn Nets player development coach Adam Harrington, acquired Natasha Cloud and the wild-card spot used on Ionescu in a trade. Jackie Young and Tiffany Hayes moved to Laces basketball club, while Courtney Williams moved to Lunar Owls.
Unrivaled will run for eight weeks, concluding with a championship set for March 17. Games, which will be played in a modified 3×3 format, will air on TNT on Monday and Friday nights, as well as Saturdays on TruTV.
Here are the updated rosters:
Phantom BC
Sabrina Ionescu
Natasha Cloud
Brittney Griner
Marina Mabrey
Satou Sabally
Katie Lou Samuelson
Laces BC
Stefanie Dolson
Tiffany Hayes
Kate Martin
Kayla McBride
Alyssa Thomas
Jackie Young
Lunar Owls BC
Shakira Austin
Cameron Brink
Napheesa Collier
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Allisha Gray
Courtney Williams
Mist BC
DiJonai Carrington
Aaliyah Edwards
Rickea Jackson
Jewell Loyd
Breanna Stewart
Courtney Vandersloot
Rose BC
Kahleah Copper
Chelsea Gray
Lexie Hull
Angel Reese
Azurá Stevens
Brittney Sykes
Vinyl BC
Aliyah Boston
Rae Burrell
Jordin Canada
Dearica Hamby
Rhyne Howard
Arike Ogunbowale
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
New York Liberty, WNBA
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