New York basketball fans have been clamoring for a homegrown star to cheer, for what feels like decades.
Finally, it looks like they have one.
The new-look Liberty boast three first-round draft picks in Friday's WNBA Draft, and are expected to take can't-miss Oregon Ducks point guard Sabrina Ionescu first overall.
Ionescu, a 22-year-old point guard, took home just about every award in the book and set several records in her decorated four-year career in Eugene, including the NCAA's high mark for career triple-doubles, with a whopping 26. The crown earned her the title of "the walking Trip Dub" from NBA MVP Stephen Curry.
The California native improved across the board in her college career, peaking last season as a senior while nearly averaging a triple-double -- with 17.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists in 33 minutes per game. She shot over 50 percent from the field, including 39 percent from deep, as well as an automatic 92 percent from the line.
The scoring figures and efficient shooting are impressive, but it's Ionescu's playmaking as a point guard where her game stands out most. She's a distributor first as evidenced by all those dimes, and she took care of the ball despite the heavy usage, with a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Libery meanwhile have rebooted with a new general manager in Jonathan Kolb and head coach in Walt Hopkins, and former team star Tina Charles shipped to Washington in a recent trade.
To cap it off, the Liberty, now owned by Nets owner Joseph Tsai, will begin their first season in Brooklyn's Barclays Center after playing their home games at Madison Square Garden every year since their inception.
All of it points to a new chapter in Gotham basketball, and, understandably, high expectations. Ionescu is expected to land high-dollar endorsement deals, and she will be scrutinized under the bright lights of the big city in a way she never was at Oregon.
But she's cut out to handle it, Liberty legend and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo reportedly said in a pre-draft conference call this week.
"She's got everything you'd want in the skill set," according to the Associated Press, "but the No. 1 thing people talk about is her competitiveness and her competitive fire. Whether it's a player like Diana Taurasi or Sue Bird, that's the thing that can separate the great ones and she has proven that she has that and thrives in those moments and loves it and loves basketball."
