The Liberty have taken a 2-1 lead against the Minnesota Lynx in the 2024 WNBA Finals after a thrilling, game-winning three-pointer from Sabrina Ionescu with one second remaining to lift New York to an 80-77 Game 3 victory.
It capped off a forceful comeback after initially being down 15 points earlier in the game. The Liberty were led by forward Breanna Stewart who had a double-double with 30 points and 11 rebounds.
Minnesota started Game 3 dominantly, forcing turnovers early, and building up their lead, going up 15-4 in the first quarter. Lynx guard Kayla McBride had a hot start and was the main spark of offense for the Lynx, putting up 10 points in the first quarter. With 8 turnovers and early struggles on defense, New York found itself down 10 points, 28-18, by the end of the first.
The second quarter saw much-needed offensive contribution from the Liberty bench, five from center Nyara Sabally and four from guard Courtney Vandersloot. However, they continued to struggle from the three-point line, shooting just 27.3% by the end of the first half. New York ended the second quarter on a 7-2 run, led by forward Leonie Fiebich, cutting the lead to eight points at halftime.
The second half of the game is where Stewart took over, claiming 22 of her 30 total points. With multiple consecutive defensive stops and an 8-0 run by New York, they managed to come back and cut the lead down to just one point. This run was propelled by Stewart, who had two huge 3-point plays and a three-pointer to tie the game at 66-66. The Liberty saw more offensive contributions from center Jonquel Jones who had five consecutive points, including a significant three-point shot that gave New York the first lead since early on in the first quarter.
The Liberty’s defense continued to silence the Lynx as they went on another 8-0 run in the fourth quarter. Prior to the fourth quarter, Ionescu wasn’t a big factor at all, only having seven points on one three-pointer. This all changed down the stretch when Ionescu pulled up for a three and sunk it, putting New York up 77-73 with just one minute left to go.
Lynx forward Bridget Carleton then went in for the layup, pulling Minnesota within two points. When New York received the ball back, Ionescu’s three-point shot went in and out, giving the Lynx the ball back with 20 seconds left and the opportunity to either tie or win the game.
Lynx forward Napheesa Collier drew contact from Jones to get to the free throw line where she sunk both free throws, then tying up the game 77-77. With 16 seconds left to go in the game, Ionescu controlled the end of this game. Dribbling to take time off the clock, she then took a side step back with her foot by the Lynx court logo, sinking the 28-foot three-pointer. This shot went on to be the game-winner as the Lynx couldn’t respond with just 1 second left on the clock to shoot.
“I trusted my preparation … I’m built for this moment … I just got an open look and I trusted that I could make it, my teammates got me open and God it feels good to get a win” Ionescu told ESPN after the game concluded.
The Liberty are now just one win away from winning their first-ever WNBA title. New York will play against Minnesota in Game 3 this Friday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m. ET, in hopes of claiming the championship.
