Each Thursday this season, Sports Illustrated’s Ben Pickman is diving deep into the WNBA story lines you need to know.
The Liberty had waited 575 days between the announcement of their impending move to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and their home opener Friday night against the Fever. In the intervening months, few moments were as important as the night of Sept. 17, 2019. That evening, New York won the ’20 WNBA draft lottery and, in turn, the right to select Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu with the first pick. The franchise’s path drastically changed from that point forward.