Sabrina Ionescu hit an all-important three-pointer at the top of the arc to secure an 80-77 victory for the New York Liberty in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
Target Center hosted 19,521 franchise fans when 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 shouted “We’re not fucking losing this game” in the middle of a second-half explosion against the Lynx, Ionescu gave the exclamation point to Minnesota. The comeback win gave New York a 2-1 series lead.
“I trust my preparation,” Ionescu said after the match. ‘I was built for this moment. “I missed one that could have sealed the game, I just got an open look and I was confident I could get it.”
“My teammates opened me up and God, it feels good to win,” she added.
Sabrina Ionescu called the game on Wednesday with a three-pointer in the last second against the Lynx
With the score deadlocked at 77-77 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 himself isolated at the logo. As the clock expired, Ionescu stepped aside from Kayla McBride, pulled the trigger and hit nothing but the net with 1.1 seconds left.
The Lynx would fail to get a shot up the other end as the clock expired and then the final buzzer sounded.
Having not led since the game was tied 5-4 in the opening frame, the Liberty came alive in the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the game.
With her team down by seven at the end of the third stanza, Stewart led their efforts, closing the gap 61-62 in the fourth before both sides traded haymakers for the lead.
Five straight points from Jonquel Jones would give New York a 74-73 lead in the final minutes. A rebound from Stewart at the other end was followed by a three-point dagger from Ionescu to extend their lead with 55.5 seconds left.
Moments later, the Lynx tied the score at 77 with 16 seconds left 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 break. Last year’s WNBA MVP also stopped two attempts by the Lynx during the tug-of-war in the fourth.
Stewart would finish the game with 30 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Ionescu had only 10 points until her match winner. Her 13-point performance came with six rebounds and five assists.
Fiebich and Jones also contributed 13 points each in 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 most points in a single WNBA postseason. Her 22-piece took Collier to 249 points in these playoffs, overcoming Diana Taurasi’s 245 points in 2009.
Although McBride, Bridget Carleton and Courtney Williams clocked 19, 14 and 12 respectively, the Lynx’s intensity was blunted 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 win to start the series.
MORE TO FOLLOW
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