After the Las Vegas Aces shut down Sabrina Ionescu in Recreation 3 of the WNBA semifinals, the New York Liberty guard rediscovered her taking pictures stroke in Recreation 4.
In Recreation 3, Ionescu was held to 4 factors on 1-of-7 taking pictures throughout a 95-81 loss. She acquired off to a significantly 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 taking pictures, 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 loads higher than they had been final yr,” Plum stated following the loss, through SB Nation’s Noa Dalzell. “Should 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% taking pictures to go together 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% taking pictures 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 searching for their first title. Maybe Ionescu will carry the group to its first championship and present why it took her with the No. 1 general decide in 2020.
