WNBA #ProDucks: Hebard to Make Postseason Debut Tuesday - GoDucks.com

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Ruthy Hebard closed the 2020 WNBA regular season with the most impressive game of her rookie year last Friday, building important momentum ahead of her postseason debut on Tuesday with the Chicago Sky.
 
Hebard will be the lone #ProDuck competing in the eight-team WNBA playoffs, with the Sky slotting in as the No. 6 seed. Chicago will take on the No. 7 seed Connecticut Sun on Tuesday (4 PM PT, ESPN2) in a win-or-go-home game, with the winner advancing to face either No. 3 Los Angeles or No. 4 Minnesota in another single-elimination contest on Thursday. The WNBA Semifinals and Finals will each be best-of-five series, with the semifinals beginning on Sunday.
 
The 2020 season has officially come to a close for the top two picks in the WNBA Draft, Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) and Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings). Ionescu played just three games as a rookie before missing the rest of the season with an injury, while Sabally enjoyed another big performance last Wednesday before a collision forced her to miss Dallas' last two regular-season games. The Wings finished one game behind the Washington Mystics for the eighth and final playoff spot.
 
Click here for a full viewing guide of Oregon athletics alumni competing professionally this week.
 
RUTHY HEBARD – CHICAGO SKY
Last Week: Hebard put up eight points and five rebounds on 4-of-6 shooting in a loss to Atlanta on Wednesday before going off in Chicago's regular-season finale on Friday. Playing against a Dallas team that was without Sabally, Hebard erupted for a career-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting while adding two assists, two blocks and a steal. One of those blocked shots proved to be crucial, with Hebard rejecting WNBA leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale to protect a one-point lead with less than 30 seconds remaining. Chicago's first-round pick played a team- and season-high 32 minutes while leading the Sky in plus-minus differential (+17).

Heat check ?? pic.twitter.com/0R1ZazNFZm

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) September 12, 2020

Postseason Preview: Hebard has become a fixture in Chicago's starting lineup over the last couple weeks, seeing her role gradually increase since veterans Azura Stevens (injury) and Diamond DeShields (personal) left the "Wubble" on Aug. 29. Hebard is shooting 75.6 percent from the floor (31-of-41) with 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game over her last eight contests, which includes five starts. The Sky split their two regular-season contests with the Sun, winning 100-93 on Aug. 8 before dropping a 77-74 decision on Aug. 14.
 
SATOU SABALLY – DALLAS WINGS
Last Week: Dallas entered the final week of the regular season with a one-game lead for the final playoff spot, and Sabally was stellar in a narrow loss to the Seattle Storm on Wednesday. Sabally scored 25 points while going 9-of-14 from the floor – finishing with more than 20 points for the third time as a rookie – and added seven rebounds and three assists. But the No. 2 overall pick collided with Seattle star Sue Bird in the fourth quarter, and she was forced to miss the remainder of the game as well as Dallas' final two regular-season games while in concussion protocol. Without Sabally, the Wings fell to Hebard and the Sky on Friday to fall behind Washington in the standings and narrowly miss out on the postseason.

Our ?? balled out last night with 25 pts, 7 rebs and 3 assists. ??#SatouROY #RISE pic.twitter.com/TmXapFoKC6

— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) September 10, 2020

Rookie Season Snapshot: Sabally ended up missing six of Dallas' 22 games due to injury, but she was terrific in the 16 contests she played. The Berlin, Germany, native led all rookies with five double-doubles and is only the fifth first-year player in WNBA history to average at least 13.0 points (13.9), 7.8 rebounds (7.8) and 2.5 assists per game (2.5), joining Lisa Leslie, Tamika Catchings, Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart. Sabally ranked first among rookies this season in rebounding and third in scoring, and she will likely finish second in the WNBA Rookie of the Year voting to Minnesota's Crystal Dangerfield.
 
SABRINA IONESCU – NEW YORK LIBERTY
Rookie Season Snapshot: The most anticipated rookie season in recent history lasted just three games, as Ionescu suffered an ankle sprain on July 31 that sidelined her the rest of the way. After finishing with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in her WNBA debut, the No. 1 overall pick was a stellar 11-of-20 from the floor and 6-of-10 from three-point range in a 33-point outpouring against Sabally and the Wings on July 29. Ionescu had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting on July 31 before rolling her ankle. Ionescu then left the "Wubble" to see specialist and begin her rehab with the intention of returning to full strength for the 2021 season.
 

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