When a team is firmly plated in championship or bust mode, it can be difficult to take one game at a time and not look ahead to the finals. An inferior squad can thus catch this giant off guard and cause it to stumble. The New York Liberty wobbled but stayed on their feet in Tuesday's series clinching 91-82 victory over the Atlanta Dream. It took a classic postseason performance by Sabrina Ionescu to keep the No. 1 overall seed on their current trajectory.

The three-time All-Star erupted in the second half to shift momentum in the Liberty's direction (Dream led 48-43 at halftime). She gave her team the lead a couple minutes into the fourth quarter and made one impactful play after another to ensure that there would be no Game 3 in this first-round WNBA Playoffs matchup. Ionescu boosts New York into the semifinals, and in doing so, achieves something no one else ever has before.

Sabrina Ionescu shows up in a big way

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May 17, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) is fouled driving to the basket by Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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The fifth-year guard is the first player to record at least 36 points, nine assists, five made 3-pointers and three steals in a closeout game, according to StatMamba. The Liberty still have a ways to go before they can potentially win their first title in franchise history, but Ionescu is establishing herself as a playoff juggernaut.

She is hardly the group's only threat, though. Two-time Finals MVP Breanna Stewart struggled from the field (6-of-16) but remains one of the best talents in the league. Jonquel Jones did not have an off night whatsoever, posting 20 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and one block versus Atlanta. If this trio can collectively leave an imprint on the court, the Liberty's championship dream may inevitably become reality.

But sometimes to be The Team, you have to beat The Team. Assuming the Vegas Aces maintain their lead against the Seattle Storm (55-51 at time of print), New York will be welcoming the two-time reigning champs into the Barclays Center for Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinals. Sabrina Ionescu will need to break out more of her postseason mojo in that possible showdown.