Sabrina Ionescu in New York to meet ankle specialist as Liberty lose to Lynx in ‘wubble’

The big news Wednesday was not the Liberty’s fifth straight loss in the “wubble,” getting beaten by the Minnesota Lynx, but that Sabrina Ionescu is in New York for consultations with an “ankle specialist” following her severe ankle sprain earlier in the week.

The Liberty didn’t name the specialist, but fans immediately speculated that the Liberty’s overall No. 1 draft pick was meeting with Dr. Martin O’Malley, the Hospital for Special Surgery’s foot and ankle specialist. O’Malley is viewed as sports medicine’s top ankle specialist and has operated on everyone from Kevin Durant to Kyrie Irving to Dez Bryant. HSS is the official hospital of the Liberty.

Is that an indication that the sprain may require surgery? No one is saying but ESPN has reported that Ionescu was seen by six doctors in Bradenton in the hours after her injury. Moreover, she suffered a grade 3 sprain, a designation that indicates soft tissue damage.

She was last seen two days ago, supported by crutches and a cast, at the Liberty-Mercury game. At the time of the injury, Liberty and Nets owner Joe Tsai promised the best of care.

Meanwhile at the IMG Academy, the Liberty went down hard to the Lynx with a final score of 93-66. Amanda Zahui B. the Liberty’s 6’5” center, led New York (0-5) with 13 points.

The Lynx (4-1) shot 51% percent from the field and hit 10 of 21 from 3-point range. They held the Liberty without a field goal for nearly nine minutes during a 20-1 third-quarter run that turned Minnesota’s two-point halftime deficit into a 24-point lead when Bridget Carleton made a basket with 1:33 left in the period.

• Carleton Leads Lynx Past Liberty In First Career Start - AP
• Liberty suffer second-half collapse against Lynx to remain winless on the season - Sarah Valenzuela - New York Daily News