INDIANAPOLIS — Liberty stars Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart met near center court Saturday night.
They may be wearing different color threads for this year’s WNBA All-Star game but they still made sure to stick to their preseason routine.
It started by locking pinkies, then they continued with the rest of the special handshake they do before every game and then Stewart went in for a tight hug with a toothy smile.
Saturday’s game — a 151-131 win by Team Collier over Team Clark — was the punctuation on a fun three days of festivities during the league’s midseason break.
Ionescu went in with the right mindset.
“Absolutely no desire or care if we win or not,” Ionescu told The Post with a laugh. “No, I mean, I hope I don’t even play that many minutes to be honest, we play in two days.”
She’s got a point.
The Liberty are scheduled to host the Fever on Tuesday. The team’s break — if you can call it that for those who participated in All-Star festivities — was short-lived.
“Obviously, it’s fun,” Ionescu said. “I think it probably would have been a little bit more competitive if teams didn’t play in such a short amount of days, and I think that’s something as we’re talking into our [collective bargaining agreement] and understanding, like All-Stars don’t really have a break. We finish, we get on a flight the next day, we’re here, jam-packed weekend, wanting to pour into the fans, show up to events, do 3-point contests, skills contest, and then playing a game and fly right back to practice and play in three days. And so I think that’s something obviously as players we want to be able to come out here during this time, put on a great show for the fans, but also take care of our bodies because we don’t have time.”
Caitlin Clark had been anxiously awaiting this weekend since it was announced last summer that Indianapolis would host the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend.
Despite earning her second consecutive All-Star nod, Clark watched the Friday and Saturday night festivities from the sidelines as she continues to deal with a groin injury.
Clark said it’s “certainly unfortunate” she couldn’t participate in the 3-point contest nor the All-Star Game like she planned.
But she said she did her best to balance enjoying the weekend and receiving treatment for her injury.
The Liberty are scheduled to host the Fever on Tuesday for their first game after the midseason break. Clark’s status for that game is uncertain.
Sonia Citron didn’t think Ionescu was serious about giving the Mystics rookie half of her $62,575 prize money for winning the 3-point contest.
But Ionescu swears she’s a woman of her word.
“I didn’t think she was being for real at all,” Citron said when Ionescu offered before the event. “But I guess she was.”
Consider this a tip of the crown from the champion to the first-year player who had courage to compete against the seasoned veterans.
