By admin Just hours before the start of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday, the WNBA announced the starting and second-team lineups for all WNBA teams on social media.
The All-WNBA First Team featured five proven superstars: 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier, 2024 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, Connecticut Sun elite two-way star Alyssa Thomas and 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
While all of these players had incredible seasons and deserved flowers (even though the WNBA fumbled with its starting graphics recognizing Clark and Wilson), many fans are upset that one player did not receive first-team honors: New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu.
The 26-year-old had the best season of her WNBA career to date, nearly matching her career highs in points and assists while leading the Liberty to a second straight WNBA Finals appearance.
Ionescu earned second-team All-WNBA recognition, along with Arike Ogunbowale, Kahleah Copper, Nneka Ogwumike and teammate Jonquel Jones. However, many fans felt that Ionescu deserved better.
“Not sab? Interesting,” user X @RedickGotNext said in response to Underdog WNBA’s social media announcement about the First-Team.
Saba’s not here?
Interesting— 𝙹𝙹 𝚁𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝙼𝚞𝚜𝚎⁶𓅓 (@RedickGotNext) October 16, 2024
“Sabrina should be on the first crazy team!” added another fan.
A third wrote: “Great to see and deservedly deserved by Caitlin, but no Sabrina is absolutely crazy.”
It’s great to see this and deservedly deserved by Caitlin, but no Sabrina is absolutely crazy
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) October 16, 2024
The general opinion among fans seems to be that Alyssa Thomas’s spot should go to Ionescu. However, considering that in a league with so many star players, there can only be five distinguished first-team players, someone always has to be left out.
Perhaps Ionescu will use this snub as motivation for a spectacular finish to the 2024 WNBA Finals.