Coming to Brooklyn (eventually): the WNBA's newest star, Sabrina Ionescu, drafted by the New York Liberty

When professional sports resume (and who knows when), the Barclays Center will have a new tenant, the New York Liberty, with a new star, Sabrina Ionesco, the top pick in the WNBA's recent virtual draft.

She's a tall (for women) point guard from the University of Oregon and a triple-double machine, and already has a sneaker deal with Nike. The New York Daily News (right) put her on the back cover.

As Howard Megdal noted in the New York Times:

Ionescu became the first No. 1 pick under a new collective bargaining agreement that significantly increased player salaries and promised additional investment in marketing. And she will join the Liberty just as the New York franchise is resetting its ownership, its roster and even its logo.

The Liberty is now owned by Joe Tsai, who owns the Brooklyn Nets and the Barclays Center operating company. He moved them from obscurity in Westchester after they were cast out of Madison Square Garden by then-owner James Dolan. Hence the double-barreled tweets below.

The borough gets a phenom.

Welcome to BK, @sabrina_i20! The W ain’t ready 😤 pic.twitter.com/J0BugT44yn

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 17, 2020

WELCOME TO NEW YORK, @sabrina_i20! Congratulations on being selected #1 overall in the 2020 #WNBADraft. #BrooklynLoud🗽 pic.twitter.com/JL2CF20uru

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) April 17, 2020

The problem, though, is that the season won't be starting May 15, as planned, and Liberty games could conflict with other events at the Barclays Center, or, who knows, be part of a double-header with Brooklyn Nets games.

Expect to be hearing more from her. As The Athletic put it:

It’s not just Ionescu’s basketball skills that have companies salivating to get her to endorse their products. It’s also Ionescu the person, sports marketing experts say. Her charming off-court demeanor belies a ruthless competitive spirit that has drawn comparisons to another driven basketball star, the late Kobe Bryant. He had become a mentor to her before his death in January, and she helped coach his daughter Gigi’s youth team.