Steph Curry was among the NBA legends to hail fellow 3-point specialist Sabrina Ionescu's iconic WNBA Finals Game 3 logo shot to give the New Liberty a 2-1 lead on Wednesday. Curry hyped Ionesuc with a three-word message on X (formerly Twiter), saying:
"Call game them @sabrina_i20"
Ionescu laced up a 30+ footer from range, giving the Liberty an 80-77 lead (the eventual margin of win) with one second left. Having made shots from that range all his career, Curry knows what it takes to create a moment that will forever be engraved in every basketball fan's mind.
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Ionescu's shot was more than just that. The stakes were too high, and the stage couldn't have been grander for her to make such an incredible play. It's almost unprecedented for any player, be it the NBA or WNBA, to make a shot like this in the finals.
Sabrina Ionescu had a subpar outing until that point as she only had 10 points on 4 of 11 shooting, including 2 of 6 from 3-point range. However, she remained confident in her final shot in the clutch and ensured the Liberty restored homecourt advantage in the series.
Sabrina Ionescu downplays her game-winning effort to credit Breanna Stewart
Sabrina Ionescu humbly gave all the credit to Breanna Stewart despite her impeccable game-winner. Ionescu ensured her co-star got her flowers for 30 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks that got Liberty back in the game in the first place.
New York trailed by 15 points at one stage, but Stewart's dominant two-way effort kept the Liberty afloat. She was the main reason the game got close after scoring 13 consecutive points across the third and fourth quarters, setting up the stage for an Ionescu game-winner.
"We don’t win that game without Stewie ... That shot's nice, but it doesn’t go against what she’s been able to do for us," Ionescu said after the game (h/t NBA/WNBA reporter Noa Dalzell).
Sabrina Ionescu joined the party late. Before knocking down her final 3-point shot from the logo to seal the win, she nailed a 3 with 55 seconds left to give the Liberty a 77-73 lead.
If not for their stars stepping up, New York could have been in a tricky situation, as the elimination Game 4 would have been in Minnesota, too. Even if they lose the next one, the Liberty have insured homecourt advantage for the potential series decider.
