Sabrina Ionescu finished with 17 points, a season-high 11 assists and four rebounds and helped the New York Liberty fend off a Minnesota Lynx comeback effort by hitting a deep 3-pointer with 33.8 seconds left to secure an 85-75 victory on Tuesday night in the final regular-season meeting between the teams.
Ionescu was only 5-of-18 from the field but her biggest shot clinched New York’s first win in four meetings with the Lynx and improved the Liberty (22-13) to 5-6 since losing Breanna Stewart to a bruised right knee on July 26.
New York saw its lead sliced to 79-75 when Natisha Hiedeman sank a trey with 2:08 remaining. After Natasha Cloud missed from long range with 44.5 seconds left, Ionescu grabbed the offensive rebound and sank a 31-footer while falling to the floor for a 82-75 lead.
Ionsecu then split a pair of free throws and finished it off by finding Kennedy Burke for a layup with 32.1 seconds.
Jonquel Jones posted her 100th career double-double and reached 4,000 career points by leading New York with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Emma Meesseman added 13, while Leonie Fiebich and Cloud finished with 10 points apiece as the Liberty trailed once in the opening minute and shot 43.9 percent from the field.
Courtney Williams scored 17 points but missed two mid-range jumpers in the final two minutes as the Lynx (28-6) saw a six-game winning streak halted. Natisha Hiedeman added 16 while DiJonai Carrington and Maria Kliundikova contributed 11 apiece as the Lynx shot 40.8 percent from the floor.
New York started quickly as Ionescu found Burke for a layup with 1:56 left for a 24-12 lead. The Liberty settled for a 24-20 lead through the opening quarter after Carrington sank a 3-pointer with 14.2 seconds left.
After Jessica Shepard brought Minnesota to within 37-35 with a bucket, Ionsecu hit two trifectas in the final 3:45 in a 13-2 run to give New York a 48-37 halftime lead.
Cloud hit a trey to open a 15-point lead in the opening minute of the third, but Minnesota chipped away, getting within 54-46 on a hoop by Hiedeman with 5:25 left and 60-51 on her 29-foot 3-pointer two minutes later. Two free throws by Burke gave New York a 62-51 lead with 2:29 left and the Liberty held a 66-60 lead into the fourth after Williams sank a trey with 4.3 seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media
