The New York Liberty took a 2-1 series lead in the WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx, putting them one win away from their first championship in franchise history. It was a game winner from Sabrina Ionescu that sealed the win for the Liberty.
Following the game, Sabrina Ionescu reacted to her game winner that put the Liberty in the driver’s seat in the WNBA Finals.
“I trust in my preparation. I’m built for this moment,” Ionescu said. “I missed one that could have sealed the game, 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.”
Mere moments before that shot, Ionescu hit a clutch three-pointer that put the Liberty up, 77-73. The Lynx would tie the game following a drive by Bridget Carleton and two free-throw from Napheesa Collier. During that stretch, Ionescu missed a three-pointer that would have sealed the game.




Collier’s game-tying free-throws set the stage for Ionescu’s game-winning shot. With the win, the Liberty now sit one game away from winning the franchise’s first WNBA title. They are one of three teams, including the Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun, to have never won a championship in their franchise’s history.
This is the Liberty’s sixth WNBA Finals appearance. They made it to the Finals as recently as last season, but lost to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. Game 4 is set for Friday in Minnesota. If necessary, the series will shift back to New York for a winner take all Game 5 on Sunday.
Ionescu was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft by the Liberty. This season she was named to her third consecutive All-Star game. During this playoff run, Ionescu had been averaging 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals with splits of 45.5 percent shooting from the field, 43.9 percent shooting from the three-point line and 91.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.