Sabrina Ionescu’s Heroics Lift New York Liberty to Cusp of First WNBA Title
By Chelsea Leite,
12 hours ago
The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx delivered again for fans in another nail-biting roller coaster of a WNBA Finals game.
In Wednesday’s Game 3, with the series tied at 1-1, it was a huge opportunity for either team to gain the advantage. Just like Game 1, it all came down to the final seconds, but the Liberty were able to squeeze out the win as Sabrina Ionescu made a 28-foot shot in the closing seconds to clinch an 80-77 win and bring New York within one victory of their first WNBA championship.
For the Liberty to get that final win, they will need to do two things: avoid late-game preventative offense, and start the game with a punch. This starts and ends with the team’s Big Three of Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, who combined for 56 points, 21 rebounds and 11 assists Wednesday.
“What the Big Three means to me is, between Sab, JJ and myself, we know when it’s our time to step up and make an impact,” Stewart after Game 3.
New York Liberty players celebrate after Sabrina Ionescu’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer toppled the Minnesota Lynx in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Target Center on Wednesday night.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
That first point goes back to the end of Games 1 and 3. In Game 1, the Liberty fumbled in the fourth quarter and allowed the Lynx to come back from a double-digit deficit. New York forced overtime but then failed to score for the first half of that overtime period. They rushed their possessions and failed to share the basketball, leading to questionable shots and ultimately misses.
In Game 2, the Liberty played better defense, with Stewart recording seven steals and the team forcing Lynx star Napheesa Collier into seven turnovers. Yet the Liberty still let the Lynx pull within one possession late in that game before pulling away in the final minutes. Then in Game 3, it was the Liberty who had to come from behind. With the score tied and mere seconds left, Ionescu made that wild shot. It went in, but New York probably would prefer a comfortable lead and a less-dramatic ending.
“It was never in doubt. Stewie got us back in there, willed us in there,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “… But Sabrina, she’s just a shooter. … Not everyone can make ’em. She can.”
New York had a great start in Game 1 as Sabrina Ionescu scored 14 points in the first half. But in Game 3, it was the opposite as dug itself New York a 10-point first-quarter deficit. Stewart had to pull off heroics in the second half on her way to 30 total points.
Liberty forward Breanna Stewart shoots as Lynx guard Kayla McBride defends during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Target Center on Wednesday.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
These games have felt disjointed for the Liberty — significantly different from one half to the other every night. That is in part due to the defense strategy and in-game adjustments Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve makes. But the Liberty surely would like to win the championship with a game they control from start to finish.
Stewart has carried the Liberty at times in this series. She needs to score from the opening tip and be the one with the ball in her hands most of the time. If the Liberty want to start strong, Stewie needs to start strong.
Ionescu has been a bit streaky in this series, but as she proved with Wednesday’s game-winning shot, she is built for the moment. She’s mostly been selective with her shot choices on late, often opting to assist instead. But she’s fully capable of making those plays under pressure with the game on the line. When she trusts her abilities and her teammates trust her, she can deliver.
The 6-foot-6 Jones has been a bit underutilized in this series, and it would be nice to see her play a bigger role. The Lynx don’t have much size in the frontcourt to match up with her, so they’ve been suffocating her with double-teams. She’s only scored 20 points twice this entire postseason, to go with just three double-digit rebounding games. The Liberty might look to feed her with pick-and-roll opportunities to get her going in Game 4.
The Liberty now have two chances to win the WNBA title: Game 4 is Friday night in Minnesota, and Game 5 will be Sunday in Brooklyn if necessary. The pressure is on, and the Liberty are hungry for that elusive first championship.
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