Sabrina Ionescu tied a franchise playoff record by scoring 36 points, her new career high, in the New York Liberty’s 91-82 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night. This win allowed the Liberty to complete a sweep of the best-of-three series and advance to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs.
With a shooting accuracy of 45.5% in the game, Ionescu tied a record held by Maya Moore, becoming the only player aside from Moore to record at least one three-pointer in her last 16 playoff games. This streak now ranks as the fifth-longest in postseason history, according to Across the Timeline.
Ionescu’s performance in the final period helped the team secure the victory and clinch the series against the Dream. She has established herself as one of the top three-point shooters in the league. In 39 minutes of play, she made 5 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc.
However, Ionescu also tied another record. By scoring over 35 points, making 5 or more three-pointers, and recording at least 5 assists, she tied the Liberty’s playoff record previously set by Cappie Pondexter, per the same source.
Sabrina Ionescu of New York Liberty ( Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The 26-year-old guard wasn’t the only Liberty player with a great night. Jonquel Jones scored 20 points and recorded 13 rebounds for the Liberty, who entered the playoffs as the number one seed.
Liberty will face Las Vegas Aces in semifinals
In the WNBA playoffs semifinals, Liberty will face either the Las Vegas Aces, which is scheduled to begin Sunday in New York. Las Vegas secured an 83-76 victory in Game 2 against the Seattle Storm in their opening series.
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They were fueled by 24 points and 13 rebounds from league MVP A’ja Wilson, along with 29 points and six rebounds from Kelsey Plum. The Aces prevailed 3-1 in the WNBA Finals last October, but New York dominated this year’s regular-season series.
