Sabrina Ionescu joins Kaite Lou Samuelson's Phantom in Unrivaled

Talk about a last-minute pickup.

Unrivaled's Phantom Basketball Club was given the final Wildcard slot as a part of the Natasha Cloud deal. Unrivaled just announced the final player-- saving one of the WNBA's best for last.

Sabrina Ionescu is officially Unrivaled.

Ionesuc is just two months removed from winning her first WNBA Championship with the New York Liberty. She now becomes the final addition to Unrivaled, a league founded by Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart.

Ionescu ranked Top 10 in the WNBA in points and assists, averaging 18.2 (9th) and 6.2 (5th) respectively. She also received her third-straight All-Star selection in July, the third in her five-year career.

This comes as a bit of a surprise, as Ionescu underwent surgery to stabilize the UCL in her right thumb on December 6 (she said as a birthday present to herself, she was going to fix it). The typical recovery time is anywhere from six weeks to three months-- meaning Ionescu may not be immediately available.

Ionescu joins a Phantom roster that, especially now, should have no trouble whatsoever with spreading the floor. She, Satou Sabally, Natasha Cloud, and Brittney Griner will have to battle it out for those three starting spots. Three-point specialist Marina Mabrey will likely be the first off the bench, and the Fever's very own Samuelson will add to the Phantom's three-point scoring.

Ionescu, Mabrey, and Samuelson on the same roster is a scary thought-- no matter what league you are playing in.

Unrivaled's first class of players is officially set, barring another player deciding to back out of their commitment to the league. League play begins on January 17, 2025-- a two-game slate to kick things off.