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NEW YORK — Sabrina Ionescu could barely walk during last season’s WNBA Finals. The New York Liberty star needed an injection into her aching hip to even take the floor in the early games of the series against the Las Vegas Aces. She struggled to score, and as the Aces were en route to clinching the championship in a one-point victory on the Liberty’s home court last October, Ionescu threw up into a sideline trash can.

The Liberty and Aces were billed as the WNBA’s super-teams last year because of their star power, including Ionescu. But Vegas made a statement and left a lasting scar for Ionescu.

“Losing,” she said, “motivates you.”

The Liberty had room for growth, and Ionescu recognized that included her. Before traveling home to California last fall, she met with New York’s coaching staff. They discussed in detail how she could improve. While she was good with the ball in her hand, they told her she was too easily defended off-ball. They stressed identifying and taking advantage of pick-and-roll situations. They wanted Ionescu to become a better cutter, play with different speeds and attack the basket more.

Once healthy, she got to work with no physical limitations or, apparently, without a ceiling on how hard she’d push herself.

“It’s just about wanting to be better all the time and not really being OK with being complacent,” Ionescu said.

She was in the gym constantly. She worked on her handle and quickness. She added various floaters to her game. She focused on pulling up out of different dribble variations and utilizing her strength. She played five-on-five against current and former Pac-12 players, WNBA players and overseas pros. “Nothing compares to defense and live reps,” she said.

That wasn’t even enough. Ionescu devised challenges to make difficult drills even tougher. Her trainer recalled a catch-and-shoot sequence in which Ionescu was tasked to make 20 deep 3-pointers, requiring the last five be consecutive. Ionescu added that each needed to be all net. After making 13 in a row, she called out that a few had barely grazed the rim. “No absolutely, not. These don’t count,” she said. She started the sequence again.

“Being able to go full blast was a whole different story,” said Breen Weeks, her basketball skills trainer the last two offseasons.

Another time, Ionescu made herself hit five one-dribble, same-handed, same-footed floaters, but she required the last three be banked in off the glass without using her right hand as a guide. “If she didn’t like the height on it, (it) doesn’t count,” Weeks said. “That’s how obsessive she is. That’s how locked in and detailed she is. I call her a cold-blooded competitor.”

Said Ionescu: “I know I can make a shot, but I want to continue to challenge myself to chase perfection. Sometimes that’s with a swish, sometimes that’s with a challenging move.”

Sabrina Ionescu turned up the heat in Game 4 🔥

With 22 points and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, she lit up the court and energized the Liberty for the WIN #WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/1zcSvivVlm

— WNBA (@WNBA) October 6, 2024

Taking difficult moments head on has been a theme through the early stages of Ionescu’s career, which has been marked with accomplishments but also injuries and shortcomings. But her competitive obsessiveness this offseason has elevated her game to new heights. She gets downhill more and is now New York’s primary ballhandler, averaging a career-high 18.2 points and 6.2 assists per game, and playing more minutes than ever.

It culminated in guiding the Liberty back to the WNBA Finals and to the doorstep of a franchise peak. Following its loss last season, New York — one of the WNBA’s original teams — is in position to win its first championship, taking on the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 on Thursday.

“It’s been really rewarding to see my true self come out,” Ionescu said.

Those who know Ionescu best aren’t surprised that she lived in a gym all winter and spring. As a high school sophomore on the way to becoming one of the nation’s top recruits in Orinda, Calif., her coach gave her a key to the school’s gym. She practiced there late into the night so often that the school principal informed Miramonte High School’s janitorial staff to “just leave her alone and let her shoot,” her coach Kelly Sopak said.

When coach Kelly Graves recruited Ionescu to Oregon, he told her the university’s practice facility was open 24/7 for players, but she quickly learned that wasn’t necessarily true. Ionescu was booted out of the facility on her first night on campus by a security guard, the first of many times throughout her college career. “She was the only player that I’ve ever had that’s been kicked out of the practice facility,” Graves said.

That work ethic was vital as Ionescu’s celebrated entry to the WNBA was quickly marred by injuries. Ionescu was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, but she suffered a severe ankle sprain in her third WNBA game and she missed the remainder of her rookie season. Ankle pain lingered throughout the 2021 season, and it wasn’t until the 2022 campaign she said she was fully healed. Still, thoughts of injuries remained with her, later recalling those plagued stretches her “dark days.” Finishing an entire season healthy was a goal, in the same way as winning a championship.

“She just competes against herself,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said.

When the Liberty reconvened in the spring, assistant coach Olaf Lange said he quickly noticed “the flashes were there in training camp.” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello took note of Ionescu’s improved explosiveness.

By her 14th game, Ionescu had made more floaters than she did in all of 2023. Heading into the finals, 37.2 percent of her shot attempts had been runners or at the rim, up from 26.3 percent last year, according to Synergy Sports. “When she’s aggressive like that it kind of opens things up for everyone else,” Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart said.

Stewart and Jonquel Jones are New York’s lone players with MVP awards on their resumés, but Ionescu is arguably the franchise’s motor. Aces coach Becky Hammon said the 5-foot-11 guard is “what makes (New York) go with her pace, her ability to read, her ability to put defenses in different dilemmas.” Hammon called her the Liberty’s “head of the snake.”

“I love her shooting, everything that she brings to the game. Even just her finishing around the rim, I think has been a bit better,” Hammon said. “It’s tough when you take really, really good players, and they get better.”

It’s why Las Vegas sought to specifically shut her down in Game 3 (Ionescu’s four points were her second-lowest of the season). Stop Ionescu, the Aces believed, and they could get back into the semifinals. Then Game 4 happened. Ionescu scored 12 first-quarter points en route to an eventual team-high 22 to close the door on the Aces’ comeback attempt.

Stopping Ionescu consistently this season has proved challenging, not just statistically, but because of the new confidence she is playing with. “Sometimes early in her career, I thought when she feels the crowd, she just wants to make a play and force the issue,” Lange said. “As of late, she lets it come to her.”

As Sopak watches Ionescu throughout New York’s postseason run, he has had constant flashbacks. He recalled a middle school contest when she hit a late runner off the glass that reminded him very much of a late-game shot over A’ja Wilson in New York’s Game 2 win over the Aces. With the Liberty leading by only one point with 11.6 seconds left, Ionescu approached the free-throw line looking to close out the win. She missed the first free throw, however, and from his home in California, Sopak said, “St. Mary’s–Stockton.”

The meaning dates back to Ionescu’s freshman year of high school, when Ionescu was fouled and went to the line for a one-and-one against what Sopak said was a top-10 program. She missed the front-end, and Miramonte lost by a point. The loss motivated Ionescu to avoid being in that position again.

“You can’t sugar coat it with Sabrina,” Sopak said. He said he told her after that game: “If you’re to be a great player, you’re going to have to be prepared for failure. If you’re not willing to lose that game and take the consequences of it, then you’re never going to win it.”

Ionescu doesn’t shy away from key moments. It’s why Sopak had no doubt she would make the second free throw. She embraces trying to win games, not just avoiding losing them. “She’s not proving anything anymore,” Sopak said.

Over the last three weeks, Ionescu has dapped up Spike Lee, fallen into Carmelo Anthony’s lap and sung with Alicia Keys. She fist-pumped after making 3-pointers, waved her hands to amp up Barclays Center crowds and iced playoff wins at the free-throw line.

Amid all the fanfare and the victories, Ionescu’s drive has been evident. After she tied New York’s franchise playoff-record with 36 points to close out its first-round series with the Atlanta Dream, she sat in a corner of the Liberty locker room and took a rare breath.

“Good f— job,” Ionescu said to her teammates as she fixed her headband. “This game wasn’t perfect, but we played hard. We played hard for 40 minutes and we just chipped away.”

Sabrina Ionescu: “Spike Lee gave me a high five … and I felt like New York was just injected into my veins at that moment. I was like, ‘We’re winning this.’” 😂pic.twitter.com/bnevwhIz0Z

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) September 25, 2024

Healthy, focused and confident, Ionescu said she’s felt more comfortable with being vocal and showing who she is. “People have been able to see a little bit more of my personality this year, who I am as a person,” she said. “Because I’ve just felt more confident in myself.”

She is in the ear of coaches about what she can do to score and how she wants to help her teammates succeed. At a recent practice, she urged the staff to continue repping out-of-bounds plays instead of taking a water break. Every minute, and every drill, matters.

Winning a ring is paramount, she said. She said she’s thought about what it would feel like to be victorious, and what it would mean for her teammates, for a Liberty franchise that has lost its five prior trips to the finals, and for New York City, which hasn’t won a basketball title since the 1970s.

“I’ve been thinking about a championship since we lost last year,” Ionescu said.

(Illustration: Daniel Goldfarb / The Athletic; Top photo of Sabrina Ionescu:  Evan Yu / NBAE, Mitchell Leff / Getty)

PRAGUE — The NHL opened its regular season in Prague last week with two Global Series games between the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils. Czech hockey legends were prominently featured. Jaromir Jagr dropped the ceremonial first puck ahead of the game on Friday. Patrik Eliáš, the Devils’ all-time leading scorer, was around the team all week and dropped the puck for the second game of the series.

But one Czech hockey great was notably absent. Dominik Hašek, the Hall of Fame goalie who helped lead the Czechs to an Olympic gold medal in 1998 and one of the greatest players in Sabres franchise history, did not attend the games or participate in any promotional materials in the lead-up to the games. Last Thursday, Hašek released a statement on his X account condemning the NHL for allowing Russian players to play in the league while Vladimir Putin continues Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Friday afternoon, hours before Jagr dropped that ceremonial first puck, Hašek met with The Athletic to discuss his ongoing issue with the NHL.

Dear citizens, dear hockey fans,

 The new season of the NHL will start tomorrow in Prague.

Which, as a person for whom human lives are the first place on the imaginary scale of values, I cannot remain indifferent. Unfortunately, I have to state that this will be the third…

— Dominik Hasek (@hasek_dominik) October 3, 2024

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“My motivation is huge,” Hašek said. “I consider everything I do on this topic to be vitally important. What is happening now in Russia, that is, the Russian imperialist war in Ukraine and other crimes connected with it, is very similar to what Hitler did in the 1930s. And we all know how that turned out. This must not happen again. And that is why I am trying to publicly explain to people all over the world what is important and how to act so that the Russian war of aggression does not spread and ends as soon as possible. And of course, the main motivation is saving human lives. For me, human life always comes first.”

Russia escalated the war between the two nations in February 2022 when it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That month, the NHL released a statement condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and announcing it had suspended relationships with partners in Russia. Hašek has made his feelings clear since the day Russia invaded. He wrote an email to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and said he got only a brief response. In the years since, Hašek said the league has made no effort to have a dialogue with him. The NHL declined to comment for this story.

During that time, Hašek has called for the NHL to pay billions of dollars to Ukraine as compensation and was outspoken about Russian athletes being allowed to participate in the Olympics. Russians participating in the NHL serves as an advertisement for what the country is doing and improves morale in Russia, he says.

Hašek also ran for senator in Czechia this year. In September, Hašek failed to advance past the first round of voting. He’s taking the downtime to determine his next step, but he wants to stay involved in politics.

It wasn’t until 1989, when Hašek was 24, that the Czech Republic became separate from the Soviet Union. Hašek is intimately familiar with life under authoritarian rule. He doesn’t want his children to know what that’s like. Hašek has a soon-to-be 3-year-old son, Honza, with his current partner, and two adult children, Michael and Dominika, with his ex-wife. Hašek returned to the Czech Republic after retiring from the Detroit Red Wings to raise his children in his home country.

Hašek also played the final year of his career in the KHL back in 2010-11. Putin has been either the prime minister or president of Russia since 1999, making him the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin.

But while Hašek majored in history in college, he didn’t become interested in politics until after his playing career ended. He has since become more outspoken on certain issues, including this one.

Many in Czechia share Hašek’s fears and views, and for hockey fans, it extends beyond the NHL. In 2023, Rytíři Kladno, the Czech Extraliga team owned by Jaromir Jagr, signed goalie Julius Hudacek, who was born in Slovakia but had spent the previous season playing for a Kazakhstan-based team in the KHL. Fans threatened to protest games, and Kladno released Hudacek days later.

This is the second time the NHL has come to Prague since Russia invaded Ukraine. The San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators played here in 2022, and each team had a Russian player on its roster. While neither the Devils nor the Sabres brought a Russian to the Global Series, Hašek still didn’t want to be part of it. He thinks the NHL needs to speak publicly on the issue and not “bury its head in the sand.”

The NHL’s initial statement after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 said, “We also remain concerned about the well-being of the players from Russia, who play in the NHL on behalf of their NHL Clubs, and not on behalf of Russia. We understand they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position.”

The fact the NHL has not changed its position since that statement is disappointing to Hašek.

Russia’s war in Ukraine will likely become a more prominent NHL storyline as Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. Ovechkin still has a photo with Putin as his Instagram profile picture and has not made any strong statements against the war. He hasn’t spoken about the war since 2022.

“I’m Russian, right?” Ovechkin said in 2022. “Something I can’t control. It’s not in my hands. I hope (the war)’s going to end soon. I hope it’s going to be peace in both countries. I don’t control this one.”

Hašek said he believes only Russians who condemn the war should be allowed to play in the NHL. However, he understands the difficult position Russian players are in. Hašek lives in a free country and is not an employee of the NHL, which he says gives him the freedom to speak his mind. It is more difficult for those who fear for their safety or their family’s safety, Hašek added. Or even those who could face job loss or other economic repercussions based on their words.

Hašek does not place the blame on the individual Russian players for not speaking out.

“Rules need to be set so that Russian players have an incentive to come out publicly,” Hašek said. “Some players could make the best peace ambassadors. Unfortunately, the NHL does not help the Russian hockey players one bit.”

The New York Rangers’ Russian star Artemi Panarin has been outspoken against Putin in the past. Hašek also cited Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov, a Russian who spoke out against the war when he was a member of the Calgary Flames in 2023. He posted “No War” on his Instagram account with the caption “Stop it!!!” He also did a two-hour interview with Russian journalist Yury Dud on YouTube in which he explained his opposition to the war. Hašek felt the NHL didn’t offer him enough support.

“It must be said that this is a topic that people are very afraid to talk about publicly,” Hašek said. “In the Czech Republic, there is great fear of Russia, which our parliament has designated as a terrorist state. With Russia, we have experience in this direction and, unfortunately, also victims. People don’t know how the situation will develop and if Ukraine falls, we are one of the other possible victims.”

Hašek said he would like to hear more ex-players speak out on the topic, because they are no longer dependent on the NHL for work. He knows these aren’t easy situations to navigate. He admitted to what he now views as a mistake of his own last year.

Last season, Hašek came to Buffalo as part of an annual visit to do charity work with his foundation, Hašek’s Heroes. While in town, he went to a Sabres game and participated in the start of the game by banging the drum to excite the crowd. He still loves Buffalo and considers it one of the best hockey towns in the United States. But he realized that even participating in that way went against what he had spoken about. Days later, he apologized on X.

Statement on my participation in the event 01/18/2024 and to the public and the media inquiries: On my annual visit (business, charity) to Buffalo USA, I accepted an invitation from my friends to the @NHL game (1/18/2024). At the same time, (continue)

— Dominik Hasek (@hasek_dominik) January 23, 2024

“I consider my participation in the match and its opening as my huge mistake,” Hašek wrote. “Hereby, I want to apologize to all Ukrainian soldiers and all Ukrainian people who are heroically defending not only their homeland, but also the whole of Europe against the imperialist enemy. And further to the fans who supported me and continue to support me and to everyone whom I disappointed with my act. I find this personal failure of mine very difficult to excuse. I will try even harder to fix it. At this moment, I can promise you that a similar situation will not happen again. And that I will fight to the maximum and help defend everything that the Russian state-controlled terrorist regime attacks. And criticize all those who support it with their actions.”

Last week, Hašek did meet with Sabres coach Lindy Ruff and a few others he knows from his time in Buffalo. He also met with the video team for the Sabres’ website to help them with a project they are doing on his upbringing.

“I have no interest in breaking ties,” Hašek said. “I am interested in helping the NHL as much as possible with my behavior, and nothing is changing about that. Otherwise, of course, I will not participate in any of the two matches, nor anything related to the start of this year’s NHL. The reason is clear. I don’t want to be part of an event that is an advertisement for the Russian war.”

(Photo: Petr David Josek / AP Photo)

Wimbledon will replace line judges with automated electronic line calling (ELC) from 2025, marking the end of a 147-year tradition at the All England Club (AELTC).

In a statement on Wednesday, the AELTC said: “The decision to adopt Live ELC was made following the successful completion of extensive testing during this year’s Championships and builds on the existing ball tracking and line calling technology that has been in place for many years.”

Wimbledon has made the decision after being convinced of ELC’s greater efficiency, compared to its extant system, in which line judges are supported by a challenge system using Hawk-Eye technology.

ELC, powered by artificial intelligence, has become more prominent at tennis tournaments since its introduction at the 2020 U.S. Open. Then, its primary intention was to reduce the number of people on court during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it has since been adopted as a more efficient and statistically accurate system of calling lines.

ELC is in use at the U.S. Open and Australian Open, and from next year will be in use at all ATP events on the main tour. It is generally preferred by players, who can ordinarily rely on the technology without having to be involved in the officiating of their matches — or worrying about the need to return a marginal ball over the net.

At last year’s Wimbledon, Andy Murray was on the wrong end of a call in the closing stages of his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Had ELC been in place, Murray’s return of the Greek’s serve would have been called in at 15-30, 4-4. Murray, who had dragged Tsitsipas wide, would have had a chance to win the point and move to 15-40, with two break points to then serve at 5-4 up in the final set. Instead the shot was called out, he did not challenge and lost the game and then the match soon after.

“Right now I obviously would rather it was done automatically,” Murray said when it was revealed to him that his shot had been wrongly called out. “It’s a hard one because I probably prefer having the lines judges on the court.

“It feels nicer to me. I think the crowd quite like the challenges. I think for TV, they probably quite like it. But when mistakes are getting made in important moments, obviously as a player you don’t want that.”

This was the dilemma Wimbledon faced. They were desperate not to have to part with the 300 line judges they use each year and felt that the distinctly-dressed staff were an important part of the on-court aesthetic.

Ultimately the belief that ELC would make for a superior product won out. There is no doubt that the use of Hawk-Eye at Wimbledon since 2007 has been a big success and led to better officiating.

“The decision to introduce Live Electronic Line Calling at The Championships was made following a significant period of consideration and consultation,” said the AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton.

Wimbledon had used line judges for 147 years. (Simon Bruty / Anychance via Getty Images)

“Having reviewed the results of the testing undertaken at The Championships this year, we consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating. For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.

“We take our responsibility to balance tradition and innovation at Wimbledon very seriously. Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at The Championships for many decades and we recognise their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service.”

The decision comes at a pertinent time, with a number of arguments taking place between players and umpires at the Shanghai Masters which is taking place this week. Frances Tiafoe, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have all berated umpires over what they felt were incorrect calls over the last 24 hours — though none of these were to do with calls of in or out that ELC deals with.

GO DEEPER

Tiafoe tells umpire he ‘f***** the match up’ after contentious time violation

In another break from tradition, the AELTC revealed on Wednesday that from next year the women’s and men’s finals will take place at 4 p.m. rather than 2 p.m. Both will be preceded by a doubles final at 1 p.m.

“The doubles players competing in the finals will have increased certainty over their schedule and fans will enjoy each day’s play as it builds towards the crescendo of the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles finals, with our champions being crowned in front of the largest possible worldwide audience,” Bolton said.

(Top photo: Sebastien Bozon / AFP via Getty Images)