With less than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter of Sunday's semifinal game 1 between the Liberty and Aces, Las Vegas' Alisha Clark cheated too much in the paint and helped defense against Brianna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu It's now open. Wings.
Stewart fed the ball to Ionescu, who hit two consecutive 3-point daggers in front of a sold-out Barclays Center crowd, giving Liberty an 87-77 victory.
The semi-finals will be held at Barclays Center on September 29, 2024. Images of Gregory Fisher-Iman
After sinking the shot, Ionescu ran past Spike Lee and congratulated the Brooklyn filmmaker.
Lee, who was wearing an Ionescu jersey, excitedly pointed behind the Liberty star.
Their friendship gained attention during the Liberty's playoff run, but the relationship between the two New York celebrities dates back to 2020, when Ionescu was drafted No. 1 overall by Oregon State.
“Honestly, I think he might have been the first person to call me when I got drafted here,” Ionescu said after the win. “I think that's something I don't know if I've ever said. But I think he was the first person to call me and share his excitement when New York got the No. 1 pick. Every time I met him on the way, we just made small talk and I kept telling him he should come to the game because this is like no other. You could see him cheering loudly for us, yelling at the referees over there, talking to the players, and it was really fun, but obviously all the fans in New York. It’s exciting to see the support it’s getting.”
Ionescu and Lee also high-fived in Game 2 of the Liberty's first-round playoff win over the Dream.
Before inbounding the ball, Lee reached out to the three-time All-Star, and just seconds later Ionescu made a layup.
Freedom September 29, 2024. NBAE (via Getty Images)
She said she felt New York “injected” into her veins at that moment.
Jonquel Jones called it the “Spider-Woman” touch.
Lee has been seen courtside at countless Knicks games and always picks out specific players.
On Sunday, he brought that same energy to Liberty's semifinal opener, selecting ace guard Kelsey Plumb for selection. He yelled back at Lee, “Speak louder.”
It was all “fun” for Plumb after the game, she said.
She also admitted that it was “cool” to have him there at the start of the best of five series.
Ionescu went on to record 21 points, 50 percent shooting, five assists, two steals, four rebounds and one block.
