Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu reacts to Julius Randle's farewell message for New York

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu reacted to Julius Randle's latest Instagram post, in which he expressed gratitude to New York after being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Randle was included in the New York Knicks' trade package for star Karl-Anthony Towns.

The trade, which was announced on Friday evening, revealed that the Knicks are acquiring Towns from the Timberwolves as part of a three-team deal. The trade sent Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick from Detroit to Minnesota. The Knicks also sent salary, including DaQuan Jeffries and draft compensation, to the Charlotte Hornets.

The New York Knicks' decision to move on from Julius Randle brought an end to the 29-year-old forward's five-year tenure with the team, during which he appeared in 330 regular-season games for the high-profile franchise.

On Sunday evening, Julius Randle reacted publicly for the first time to his trade to the Timberwolves. The three-time NBA All-Star shared a heartfelt four-word message, expressing gratitude to the city of New York and Knicks fanbase.

"NEW YORK! THANK YOU," Randle captioned his post on Instagram.

WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu expressed her appreciation for Julius Randle’s contributions to the Knicks' growth during his five-year tenure with the franchise.

"Thank you," the Liberty standout commented.

(Credit: Screenshot/Julius Randle/Instagram)

Sabrina's reaction came after she helped the Liberty record an 87-77 victory over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 1 of the playoffs semifinal at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The 26-year-old star scored 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from the three-point range. The three-time WNBA All-Star also recorded five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block shot.

Julius Randle's career with the New York Knicks

Julius Randle joined the New York Knicks from the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. He played over 70 games in three of his five seasons with the team. In total, the 29-year-old appeared in 330 games for the Knicks, averaging 22.6 points per game on 45% shooting from the field, including 33.8% from three-point range.

Randle narrowly missed averaging a double-double during his time in New York, falling just 0.1 rebounds short with 9.9 boards per game.

Last season, the three-time All-Star's campaign was cut short due to a dislocated right shoulder. Currently in rehab, the 6'8" forward is expected to be ready for Timberwolves training camp.