Liberty’s Thrilling Victory Over Sky

During a recent game, Pauline Astier set up Sabrina Ionescu, who, with under a minute left, made a challenging 3-pointer over Azura Stevens from the Chicago Sky. This crucial shot, which took place just 56 seconds before the final buzzer, caught Jonquel Jones by surprise.

“Oh my god, you’re a dog, dude,” Jones recalled saying with admiration. “That was amazing.”

Ionescu’s 3-pointer sparked a 10-1 run, leading the Liberty to a nail-biting 95-94 win over the Sky at Barclays Center. This victory set them up well as they headed into the All-Star break. In fact, Ionescu, who led her team with 29 points, scored nine of those in the final moments of the game.

“She literally gave us her will and carried us in the end,” Brianna Stewart said, reflecting on Ionescu’s performance. “It was great to see Barclays fired up again.”

Going into that last minute, the Liberty found themselves trailing by eight points. Time was short, and Ionescu knew what she needed to do. A strong screen from her teammates helped her find her rhythm while the team’s defense became more aggressive, a shift that played a big role in their comeback.

“I just saw the basket,” Ionescu shared, noting that she went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter. “It felt like we were in a 3-point shootout.”

In a key defensive move, the Liberty forced a 24-second shot clock violation with 31 seconds left, and Astier grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw from Courtney Vandersloot. She then assisted Ionescu on a layup, tying the game with just 15.1 seconds remaining.

Chicago then struggled to find their footing. Vandersloot passed to Camila Cardoso, who faltered under pressure. Though Jones secured the rebound, she was fouled with only 3.4 seconds left, resulting in her hitting one of two free throws.

Ultimately, Vandersloot’s half-court shot didn’t connect, sealing the win for the Liberty. This marked their second consecutive victory, both times after overcoming a 12-point deficit in the game’s final moments.

“It builds character,” said coach Chris DeMarco. “Even if we’re down late, we can come back and execute. Chicago’s a really good team with experienced players, so we knew it would be tough.”

The Liberty’s back-to-back wins were fueled by Ionescu’s scoring surge, Jones’ double-double performance (14 points, 10 rebounds), and Stewart’s steady presence (20 points, 9 rebounds). Ionescu’s late-game heroics came just two days after she had a standout performance in overtime against Dallas, where she netted 12 points to help snap a four-game losing streak.

Jones admitted that while Ionescu’s skill is expected, her execution in those moments was a pleasant surprise. “It’s definitely great,” she added.

Despite an injury that sidelined Ionescu for the first few weeks of the season, she seems to have found her groove, scoring 20 or more points in four of the last five games with an average of 23 points during that stretch.

As she prepares for her first All-Star selection since 2021, Ionescu feels optimistic, stating she’s ready to push forward as the season continues. “The first few months were tough, but it feels good to regain my strength going into the second half,” she said.