Sabrina Ionescu buzzer-beater: How Liberty star overcame 'Slack Mamba' nickname to hit game-winning logo 3

When you look up "clutch" in the dictionary after Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the Lynx and Liberty, you might find a photo of Sabrina Ionescu.

The New York guard had scored just seven points heading into the home stretch of the game in Minnesota, well below her regular-season average of 18.2. But with just under a minute remaining, Ionescu turned up the heat.

First, Ionescu stepped back and hit a 24-foot 3-pointer to extend New York's lead to four points. Still, the Lynx refused to quit, fighting back to tie the game behind star Napheesa Collier.

With 2.1 seconds on the clock, Ionescu took the game into her own hands. She took on Minnesota's Kayla McBride before stepping back from 28 feet deep and sinking the biggest shot of her life.

Thanks to Ionescu's game-winning shot, the Liberty walked away with the 80-77 win in Minnesota, and they will return to the Target Center on Friday for Game 4 with a 2-1 lead in the five-game series.

Here's everything to know about Ionescu's buzzer-beater, including how the Liberty star overcame her "Slack Mamba" nickname to hit the game-winning logo 3.

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Sabrina Ionescu buzzer-beater video

The 26-year-old guard's dagger silenced the Minnesota faithful as she celebrated with her tongue out after the shot. Here's a video of Ionescu's game-winning basket.

Sabrina Ionescu stats tonight

Ionescu entered the WNBA with sky-high expectations after a record-setting NCAA career at Oregon, during which she shattered the career mark with 26 triple-doubles. But her pro career got off to a slow start. An ankle injury three games into her rookie season sidelined her for the rest of that year and lingered into her sophomore campaign.

Even as she became an elite scorer in her third season in 2022, averaging 17.4 points per game for the Liberty, she dealt with the ignominious social media nickname "Slack Mamba" — which calls to mind Ionescu's mentor Kobe Bryant and finds her wanting in comparison.

Ionescu didn't help case with her 2023 WNBA Finals performance. The Liberty lost the series in four games to the Aces, and Sabrina averaged 9.8 points per game, far from her usual production.

With her Game 3 performance in the 2024 WNBA Finals, though, she showed that point totals don't tell the whole story. While she didn't score at her usual clip, Ionescu contributed more than her stat line might indicate. In fact, she shot above her regular-season field goal percentage (39.4%), going 5-of-12 from the floor (41.7%).

She also shot above her average from 3-point range thanks to both of her late-game sinkers, and she was consistent with her rebounding and assist numbers. Here's how Ionescu fared.

• MIN: 32
• PTS: 13
• FG: 5-12
• 3PT: 3-8
• REB: 5
• AST: 6
• PF: 3

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Reactions to Sabrina Ionescu buzzer-beater

In the aftermath of her buzzer-beater, Ionescu became the No. 1 trend on X (formerly Twitter) for her game-winning work. Social media had plenty of noteworthy reactions to her clutch three—here are some of the best, including posts from fellow WNBA players, NBA stars and more.