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NY Liberty Picks Ionescu With The First Pick Of The 2020 WNBA Draft

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New York, NY—The NY Liberty traded veteran All-Star Center Tina Charles to the Washington Mystics as part of a three-team deal on Wednesday, just days before they were going to select Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu with the first pick of the WNBA draft.

New York received the 12th pick in this year’s WNBA draft from Washington as well as the ninth and 15th picks from the Dallas Wings. The Liberty also received Tayler Hill from the Wings and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough from the Mystics. The Wings got Washington’s first-round pick in 2021 and the Liberty’s second-round pick in 2021.

The Liberty selected Sabrina Ionescu, who recently completed a storybook career at Oregon, where she became the NCAA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, and the only player ever with 2,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists.

Ionescu is an excellent passer, understands the game and gets her teammates involved. She opens the floor with her elite jump-shooting ability consistently make 3-pointers off the dribble drive penetration. There will be immense pressure on her to win in New York immediately as she relocates her game to the Barclays Center, but she has all the intangibles to be successful in the Big Apple.

New York wasn’t done adding a number of other picks through the Tina Charles trade. By shipping Charles to Washington it gave them two extra first-round picks, and on draft night, they sent Shatori Walker-Kimbrough to the Mercury for another first-round pick.

The Liberty used those picks to select UConn’s Megan Walker at No. 9, Jocelyn Willoughby (Virginia) at No. 10 and Jazmine Jones (Louisville) at No. 12. In the first pick of the second round NY took Jones’ college teammate, Kylie Shook. With six total picks in the draft head coach, Walt Hopkins feels he filled all of the Liberty needs especially of the wings.

2020 WNBA Draft Results:

Round 1:

1. New York Liberty: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
2. Dallas Wings: Satou Sabally, Oregon
3. Indiana Fever: Laurex Cox, Baylor
4. Atlanta Dream: Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
5. Dallas Wings: Bella Alarie, Princeton
6. Minnesota Lynx: Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, South Carolina
7. Dallas Wings: Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
8. Chicago Sky: Ruthy Hebard, Oregon
9. New York Liberty: Megan Walker, UConn
10. Phoenix Mercury: Jocelyn Willoughby, Virginia
11. Seattle Storm: Kitija Laska, South Florida
12. New York Liberty: Jazmine Jones, Louisville

Round 2:

13. New York Liberty: Kylee Shook, Louisville
14. Indiana Fever: Kathleen Doyle, Iowa
15. New York Liberty: Leaonna Odom, Duke
16. Minnesota Lynx: Crystal Dangerfield, UConn
17. Atlanta Dream: Brittany Brewer, Texas Tech
18. Phoenix Mercury: Te’a Cooper, Baylor
19. Seattle Storm: Joyner Holmes, Texas
20. Los Angeles Sparks: Beatrice Mompremier, Miami
21. Dallas Wings: Luisa Geiselsoder, Germany
22. Los Angeles Sparks: Leonie Fiebich, Germany
23. Connecticut Sun: Kaila Charles, Maryland
24. Washington Mystics: Jaylyn Agnew, Creighton

Round 3:

25. Atlanta Dream: Mikayla Pivec, Oregon State
26. New York Liberty: Erica Ogwumike, Rice
27. Atlanta Dream: Kobi Thornton, Clemson
28. Indiana Fever: Kamiah Smalls, James Madison
29. Phoenix Mercury: Stella Johnson, Rider
30. Chicago Sky: Japreece Dean, UCLA
31. Seattle Storm: Haley Gorecki, Duke
32. Chicago Sky: Kiah Gillespie, Florida State
33. Las Vegas Aces: Lauren Manis, Holy Cross
34. Los Angeles Sparks: Tynice Martin, West Virginia
35. Connecticut Sun: Juicy Landrum, Baylor
36. Washington Mystics: Sug Sutton, Texas