The New York Liberty (24–7) and Las Vegas Aces (28-3) are unquestionably the two best teams in the WNBA. There’s so much star power on each roster that many consider both squads to be “super teams.” This season they’ve faced off four times, with each winning two games apiece and in blowout fashion each time. To say there’s a budding rivalry developing is an understatement, and prior to Thursday’s battle in Vegas that rivalry amped another notch.
Ahead of the Liberty’s 88-75 loss on Thursday, star guard Sabrina Ionescu said her shoes were stolen from the locker room. Following the game, Ionescu, the former Oregon Ducks star, told reporters this about the odd situation
“I have no idea,” Ionescu said after leading the Liberty in scoring with 22 points. “I haven’t heard anything yet.”
Ionescu Wants Her Custom-Made Insoles Back
Prior to Thursday’s game Ionescu took to Twitter asking whoever took her “Sabrina 1s,” to just return the insoles.
“Never thought I would get my shoes stolen from an opposing arena… Please just bring me my insoles back. RIP to my Sabrina 1s,” she wrote on X, the platform known as Twitter.
Ionescu Says Shoes Were Left At Arena In Between Games
With the Liberty playing back-to-back games against the Aces on Tuesday and Thursday, the team left a lot of its belongings at the arena following Tuesday’s 82-63 win in the annual Commissioner’s Cup game. But upon return to the arena on Thursday for the shootaround Ionescu realized her shoes had been taken.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello spoke as to why the insoles of the shoes are so vital.
“As an athlete, it’s not about the shoes, per se, it’s about the insoles,” Brondello said. “That’s the thing, going into a game not wearing your insoles. But I’m sure it will be taken care of. Our focus now is just the game.
“She’s got some other shoes here. They travel with enough shoes. It was just about the insoles. Hopefully, they can be found. Keep the shoes, but give the insoles back. She can get plenty of shoes. But we’re on the road, so it’s not like we can just go get some insoles.”
Rivalry aside, Ionescu just wants her insoles back, so hopefully Las Vegas authorities are able to pinpoint who took them.