Sabrina Ionescu hit an all-important three-pointer at the top of the arc to secure an 80-77 win for the New York Liberty in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
Target Center hosted a franchise-high 19,521 fans as the best-of-five series moved to Minnesota. They were not disappointed as the Lynx and Liberty went neck and neck in a tightly contested game.
Minutes after Breanna Stewart yelled ‘We’re not f****** losing this game,’ in the middle of a second-half explosion, Ionescu gave the exclamation mark to silence the crowd and send shockwaves on social media. The comeback win gave New York a 2-1 series lead.
‘I trust in my preparation,’ Ionescu said postgame. ‘I’m built for this moment. I missed one that could have sealed the game, I just got an open look and I trusted that I can make it.’
‘My teammates got me open and God, it feels good to get a win,’ she added.
Sabrina Ionescu called game with a last-second three-pointer against the Lynx on Wednesday
With a 77-77 deadlock and 10.9 seconds on the clock, the Liberty inbounded the ball from the sideline.
After a quick give-and-go with rookie Leonie Fiebich, Ionescu found herself in isolation near the logo. As the clock expired, Ionescu side-stepped away from Kayla McBride, pulled the trigger, and hit nothing but net with 1.1 seconds left.
The Lynx would fail to get a shot up on the other end as the clock winded down, the final buzzer erupting after.
Having not led since the game was 5-4 in the opening frame, the Liberty came to life in the fourth quarter after trailing most of the contest.
With her team down seven at the end of the third stanza, Stewart led their efforts and closed the gap 61-62 in the fourth before both sides traded haymakers for the lead.
Breanna Stewart had a late-game explosion in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier broke the record for most points in a WNBA playoff run
The Liberty failed to lead for most of the game before Stewart and Ionescu’s late-game efforts
Five straight points from Jonquel Jones would give New York a 74-73 lead in the dying minutes. A rebound from Stewart on the other end was followed by a three-point dagger from Ionescu to extend their lead with 55.5 seconds to spare.
Moments later the Lynx tied the game at 77 with 16 seconds remaining before Ionescu’s heroics came when the Liberty needed it most.
While Ionescu got to throw the knockout punch, Stewart led the way for the Liberty in the second half with 22 points after the intermission. Last year’s WNBA MVP also stuffed two attempts from the Lynx during the tug-of-war in the fourth.
Stewart would finish the game with 30 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Ionescu only had 10 points up until her game-winner. Her 13-point performance came with six rebounds and five assists.
Ionescu’s late-game heroics gave the New York Liberty a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals
Fiebich and Jones also contributed 13 points each to the win, as the Liberty are one away from their first WNBA title.
On the other hand, Lynx star Napheesa Collier broke the record for the most points in a single WNBA postseason. Her 22-piece brought Collier to 249 points in these playoffs, overcoming Diana Taurasi’s 245 points in 2009.
Although McBride, Bridget Carleton, and Courtney Williams, clocked in 19, 14, and 12, respectively, the Lynx’s intensity was flatlined by Ionescu’s kill shot.
The dramatic Game 3 followed the Liberty’s 88-66 blowout in Game 2 and the Lynx’s 95-93 overtime triumph to start the series.
Game 4 of the series will remain in Minnesota as the Liberty looks to get the job done on the road on Friday, Oct. 18. Should Game 5 be necessary, the Liberty will be favored by having their fans at Barclays Center on Sunday, Oct. 20.
