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        <title><![CDATA[Sabrina Ionescu selected by Liberty with first pick of WNBA Draft]]></title>
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            <media:title type="html">Sabrina Ionescu selected by Liberty with first pick of WNBA Draft</media:title>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Not even the challenges of a virtual draft could get in the way of this pick.</p><p>The Liberty completed the no-brainer Friday night and selected Oregon superstar point guard Sabrina Ionescu with the first-overall pick of the WNBA Draft, marking what could turn out to be a franchise-altering day for the organization.</p><p>Ionescu, whose <strong>play and competitive fire enthralled a fanbase</strong> that grew to include the likes of Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry and LeBron James, rewrote the NCAA record book for men and women during her dominant college career. The 5-foot-11 pick-and-roll specialist finished her four-year career with 2,562 points, 1,091 assists and 1,040 rebounds — the first-ever player to surpass 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds — while setting a new standard with 26 career triple-doubles.</p><p>After the two-time national player of the year left her mark on Oregon and the college game, Ionescu will have the chance to do the same for the Liberty and WNBA.</p><p>“I think it&#8217;s perfect, because she&#8217;s a star and New York’s a city that likes its stars,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves told The Post in the leadup to the draft. “She&#8217;s also going to have to produce. She’s done it at the collegiate level on that kind of stage with those kind of expectations and pressure. There&#8217;s gonna be some pressure to produce results, in terms of victories and then stats. But she’s played with a lot of pressure. She’s had a lot of people that have wanted her to fail and she just always seems to be successful.</p><p>“Whatever she does on the court, in production, is going to pale in comparison to what she&#8217;ll give that organization to start developing their culture. I&#8217;ve talked with [Liberty GM] Jonathan [Kolb] and [head coach] Walt [Hopkins] several times and I know that they&#8217;re really looking forward to having a really strong organization. With the move over to Barclays, I think it&#8217;s natural. I think it&#8217;s going to be a match made in heaven.”</p><figure id="attachment_15511160"  class="wp-caption alignnone aligncenter"><strong><noscript><img data- data-src="/uploads/2020/04/ionescu.jpg" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img  data-src="/uploads/2020/04/ionescu.jpg" /></noscript></noscript><img class="lazyload" src='data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20210%20140%22%3E%3C/svg%3E' data- data-src="/uploads/2020/04/ionescu.jpg" /></strong><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><span>Sabrina Ionescu</span><span class="credit">Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Liberty have gone 17-51 over the last two seasons, which helped them win the draft lottery last September. They have a new head coach in Hopkins and, whenever the season begins considering the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic, will start playing their home games at Barclays Center. <strong>They also traded away their most established star</strong>, Tina Charles, on Wednesday for two players and more draft picks Friday night.</p><p>Now, the blank canvas awaits for Ionescu to take over.</p><p>“We’re excited to have someone with her caliber and, most importantly, her character in our league,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on a conference call Friday. “It’s exciting for New York.”</p><p>Ionescu, who is being courted by Nike, Under Armour and Puma for an endorsement deal, is the Liberty’s first No. 1 pick in franchise history.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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