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“Michaela came into camp probably the most constant shooter on the crew in preseason. She was knocking down each shot,” Hopkins mentioned. “Her athleticism, her explosion, her defensive versatility, and then her personality is absolutely superb, so she genuinely separated herself in camp.”
In the period opener, Onyenwere scored 18 factors towards Indiana, in a victory punctuated by Sabrina Ionescu’s sport-winning 3-pointer with less than a next remaining. Onyenwere closed out the first thirty day period of her pro vocation with a year-large 29 factors towards Atlanta.
“Coming in, I did not anticipate any of this,” Onyenwere said. “I did not put also a great deal force on myself, simply because I know that if I do that, I won’t enjoy as freely as I want to.” She ongoing to play with joy and reason, though an elbow injury on her shooting arm influenced her 3-issue accuracy.
“Mic rises to events in element due to the fact the strain does not influence her like it influences other men and women,” Hopkins mentioned, making use of a nickname for Onyenwere. “I do not feel she internalizes it. I really don’t believe it gets this emotional burden to her. I assume it’s just like, ‘OK, cool, I acquired you,’ and I admire that. Which is a thing that is not regular. It is a unusual attribute.”
Just after starting up the season 5-1, the Liberty were being the toast of the league, conveniently surpassing their win complete from very last season’s 2-20 debacle. The team’s 1st year at Barclays Heart held assure primarily simply because of the return of Ionescu, the 2020 No. 1 overall select from Oregon who seriously sprained an ankle in her 3rd W.N.B.A. match and skipped the relaxation of her rookie period.
Ionescu led the workforce in hype — “The Up coming Queen of NY” read the April/May well address of Slam magazine — and gradually modified to the problems ahead of her, like playing place guard just after starring as a 2-guard in college or university.
“It’s like Sabs played two games and she’s under no circumstances performed in New York to be the queen of New York,” Hopkins mentioned. “She’s just completed a definitely impressive job of balancing anticipations that might have been unrealistic for a rookie.”
