Sabrina Ionescu's game-winning shot will come as no surprise to Steph Curry

The New York Liberty are just one win away from winning the WNBA championship for the first time after taking a 2-1 series lead over the Minnesota Lynx .

With the score tied at 77 and seconds remaining, Sabrina Ionescu had the ball and became the hero in Game 3. Ionescu nailed a 3 from well behind the line to put the Liberty ahead with one-second remaining and put the WNBA championship within reach.

Ionescu was named in the All-WNBA Second Team earlier in the day, and was clearly upset with missing out on the First Team as she fired shots at the WNBA when describing her performance in Game 3. "That was just a great All-WNBA Second Team performance," she joked with reporters.

The shot from Ionescu may go down as the most important in Liberty finals history and shocked the millions of fans watching around the world. Someone who won't be surprised is Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry , as he witnessed her talents before she even made it to the WNBA .

Curry met Ionescu before she rose to fame at the University of Oregon, and when describing her he said: "You see a different demeanor and a different kind of killer instinct and a focus. I mean, the skill is one thing, but the mentality is a totally different thing that you kind of can't teach, and she has demonstrated that every step of the way.

"I knew that however much the buildup was, no stage would be too bright for her," Curry concluded. The Warriors guard is the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history, and Ionescu proved that she's not far behind him when facing him in a unique NBA vs. WNBA 3-point contest earlier this year.

Curry ended up winning 29-26 when facing Ionescu on February 17 and spoke extremely highly of the Liberty guard on the court. "I saw the first rack... and I was having flashbacks to watching her this [past] summer," Curry said after the contest.

"It added a lot of pressure, for sure, and I just wanted to get off to a good start, and settle in, and thankfully I made enough to get over the top. But that was perfect. Great entertainment, great shooting - both sides - and an awesome 70 seconds for both of us."

Ionescu also showed her respect for Curry, and added: "Obviously Steph won for a reason, and I'm going to have to try to beat him next time."

The NBA vs. WNBA contest was the first of its kind, with each league staging its own contest during respective All-Star Weekends. To make history meant a lot to both Curry and Ionescu, who are expected to meet again in 2025 for a rematch.

"Me and Sabrina talked about how cool of an opportunity it is to do something that's never been done before in our game," Curry said before the contest. "And for her to have a presence on this stage is going to do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls that want to compete and see themselves in either one of us."

Ionescu also spoke about the importance, of the popularity of the WNBA and how women's sports, in general, have reached new heights. "Being able to have this crossover and understanding the respect that I've been able to receive from a lot of the NBA guys - just knowing that Steph wanted to do this as well, in terms of just respecting another shooter," Ionescu said. "I think it's going to show a lot of kids out there, a lot of people that might not have believed or even watched women's sports, that we're able to go out there and put on a show."