Sabrina Ionescu Buried A Last Second Logo Three To Steal Game 3 From The Lynx

Despite trailing by as many as 15 points in Game 3 of the 2024 WNBA Finals on the road, the New York Liberty are one win away from the first championship in franchise history. Thanks to some serious heroics from Sabrina Ionescu, who knocked down a game-winning triple with a second remaining from the logo on the floor at the Target Center, the Liberty were able to pick up a thrilling, 80-77 win over the Minnesota Lynx to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

The Lynx came out and blitzed the Liberty behind some stingy defense and a monster start to the game from Kayla McBride. Three early New York turnovers and eight points in the opening three minutes from McBride helped Minnesota get the home crowd on its feet thanks to a 14-5 lead.

Even after a timeout by Sandy Brondello to try and settle things down, the Lynx just kept taking advantage of the seven turnovers the Liberty had in the period, and extended their lead up to as many as 15 points. Ultimately, New York was able to cut into that a bit towards the end of the quarter, but Minnesota nevertheless took a 28-18 lead into the second. And while the Lynx cooled off from the field considerably after a torrid start, the team’s defense — and New York’s inability to punish them when they got looks from three — meant that the Liberty could barely cut into their lead.

By the time the two teams entered the locker room at halftime, Minnesota had a 43-35 lead. McBride’s 13 points led all scorers, while Bridget Carleton had 10 points and Napheesa Collier did a little bit of everything, going for nine points, four rebounds, three steals, a block, and an assist. Leonie Fiebich led the way for the Liberty with 10 points, while Breanna Stewart had eight. As a team, New York was only 3-for-11 from behind the three-point line, with the trio of Ionescu, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Stewart missing all six of their combined attempts.

For much of the third quarter, whenever the Liberty would get the lead down to two possessions, the Lynx would be able to put together an immediate response to create just a little bit of breathing room. But at the end of the period, Stewart and Ionescu did what they do, scoring all eight points in an 8-0 run — Stewart, in particular, was spectacular in the third, going for 14 points in the quarter. As a result, what was once a 15-point margin for the Lynx was down to one at the start of the fourth quarter, with Minnesota holding on tight to 62-61 lead.

The two sides seemed to go shot-for-shot in the fourth. Whenever New York — or, more specifically, Stewart, who continued to take it to the Lynx — would hit a shot to get the lead down to one or tie things up, Minnesota always had an answer.

But with 90 seconds left, New York was finally able to take its first lead since it was 5-4. Ionescu was able to get into the lane and attract the attention of the defense, which let her slip a pass to a wide open Jonquel Jones underneath the rim. And on their next possession after forcing a miss by the Lynx, Ionescu threw a haymaker, as she knocked down a shot from behind the three-point line to put the Liberty up by four.

A bucket by Carleton beget a missed three by Ionescu, which opened the door for the Lynx to tie things up or get back into the driver’s seat. They unsurprisingly went to Collier, who got Jones up in the air and drew a foul. Even though she missed her attempt from the field, she knocked down both of her shots from the charity stripe to tie things back up.

But unfortunately for the Lynx, Ionescu got just enough space to hit the shot of her life. Ionescu got the ball put in her hands and dribbled near midcourt, then was able to create just enough space as McBride hounded her to pull up and hit from nearly 30 feet. Minnesota could not get off a shot to try and tie it, and as a result, the Liberty celebrated on the floor, surrounded by the deafening sound of stunned silence.

Stewart led the way for New York with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks, while Ionescu, Jones, and Fiebich all went for 13. Collier’s 22 points and nine rebounds paced the Lynx, while four other players scored in double-digits, with McBride’s 19 the best of the bench.

Game 4 of the 2024 WNBA Finals will take place on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.