Ionescu, Sabally battling injuries as they return to Oregon on Tuesday

When the 2026 WNBA schedule was released, a May 11 matchup between the New York Liberty and Portland Fire stuck out for Oregon Ducks fans in particular.

This offseason, the Liberty signed forward Satou Sabally, reuniting her with fellow former Oregon standout point guard Sabrina Ionescu, who was drafted first overall by New York and has been with the team for six seasons. The pair starred together with the Ducks for three seasons (2017-2020) before being selected No. 1 and No. 2 in 2020.

The time has come for Ionescu and Sabally to make their long awaited return to the state of Oregon for their first regular-season game — the Liberty played a 2025 preseason game at Matthew Knight Arena — taking place this Tuesday. But the big question remains: will either one of them play against the Fire, held at Moda Center in Portland?

Unfortunately, it appears that Ionescu won't be available. She suffered an ankle injury in the preseason and has missed the Liberty's first two games, and remains listed as out. Meanwhile, Sabally has yet to make her Liberty debut, also missing the first two games of the season with a cyst injury. However, that may not stop her from playing on Tuesday, as she's listed as a game-time decision.

Despite missing two of their standouts, New York boasts a star-studded roster with former MVP in Breanna Stewart and 2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones leading the way two games into the year. The Fire will compete in their second game since the inception of the team this offseason, as they fell in the season-opener to the Chicago Sky.