After the Las Vegas Aces shut down Sabrina Ionescu in Recreation 3 of the WNBA semifinals, the New York Liberty guard rediscovered her capturing stroke in Recreation 4.
In Recreation 3, Ionescu was held to 4 factors on 1-of-7 capturing throughout a 95-81 loss. She received off to a a lot better begin Sunday. Within the first quarter, she drilled 4 three-pointers, scoring 12 factors.
Ionescu completed with a team-high 22 factors on 7-of-14 capturing, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Her sharpshooting helped the Liberty beat the Aces 76-62 and clinch their second straight WNBA Finals berth.
In 2023, New York misplaced to Vegas in 4 video games within the Finals. Though the Aces have 2024 MVP A’ja Wilson, Vegas guard Kelsey Plum indicated Ionescu and Co. are a a lot stronger squad this season.
“New York is so much higher than they have been final yr,” Plum mentioned following the loss, through SB Nation’s Noa Dalzell. “In the event you go down the road, like pound for pound, individually, all of them are higher.”
Ionescu has actually raised her recreation this postseason. Through five playoff games, she had averaged 20.4 factors per recreation on 48.6% capturing to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists. In 10 playoff contests final season, the 26-year-old logged 13.7 factors on 39.3% capturing with 4.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
On this yr’s sequence in opposition to the Aces, Ionescue scored 20 points or more within the three video games the Liberty received. The Liberty will face the Minnesota Lynx or Connecticut Solar within the WNBA Finals. On Sunday, the Solar compelled a decisive Recreation 5 in Minneapolis through a 92-82 win.
The Liberty have made six journeys to the WNBA Finals however are nonetheless in search of their first title. Maybe Ionescu will carry the group to its first championship and present why it took her with the No. 1 total choose in 2020.