Sabrina Ionescu caps thrilling rally with game-winning shot to put Liberty on brink of WNBA title

MINNEAPOLIS — A big Liberty deficit had stunningly turned into a four-point lead in the final minute.

But the real stunner was still to come.

After the Lynx forged a late tie in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night, Sabrina Ionescu hoisted a 28-footer — from just in front of the logo — with less than 3 seconds left.

Nothing but net. Liberty win. Liberty lead the Finals 2-1.

The 80-77 victory moves the Liberty within one win of their first title in franchise history, with the first chance to close the series on Friday.

Ionescu called the shot the biggest of her career.

The three-time All-Star didn’t realize just how far it was until she saw the replay in the locker room.

Until seeing the replay, she didn’t even recall what hand she was dribbling with, or that she did a step-back move to create the separation.

All she remembered was that in the huddle head coach Sandy Brondello told her, “You’re going to shoot the shot.”

And it was one that she was comfortable shooting.

“It’s a shot that I take often,” Ionescu said. “I take in practice and I take before the game. It’s not like a Hail Mary, hope this goes in. Once I got it off, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is in.’

“I’m always visualizing different scenarios,” she added. “Putting myself in tough situations. I didn’t play my best tonight, but [found] a way to continue to stick with it. I feel like that’s been a big growth for me lately.”

The shot, which was made in front of her former Oregon college coach Kelly Graves in the audience, also had a statement behind it.

Ionescu was named to the all-WNBA Second Team before the game, after a stellar season and during a playoffs that has seen a more dynamic version of the 5-foot-11 guard.

She didn’t fully express her disappointment for the snub at the Liberty’s morning shootaround, but after the game she had a jab ready.

“That was just a great all WNBA Second Team performance,” Ionescu said. “That’s it.”

After dominating possession in the first two games, the Liberty found themselves playing catch-up Wednesday at Target Center.

They fell behind by as many as 15 in the first quarter and trailed by double digits almost the whole way until the middle of the third quarter.

An 8-0 run to end the third closed the gap to 62-61, setting up the furious fourth period.

Much of the comeback could be credited to Breanna Stewart.

She scored 14 in the momentum-shifting third period.

Her 3 with 6:57 left tied the game at 66. After Minnesota’s Kayla McBride deliver a trey of her own, on the following Liberty possession Stewart drew a foul on a jump shot for a three-point play to tie the game again.

After a nearly 4-minute stretch in which neither team could find the basket, the scoreboard stuck with a 71-69 Lynx lead, Minnesota’s Courtney Williams broke the skid with a floater to forge a 73-69 edge.

Then the Liberty really came to life.

Jonquel Jones drilled a 24-foot 3-pointer to cut the lead to 73-72, then followed with a layup to push the Liberty ahead, 74-73 — their first lead since 5-4, less than two minutes into the game.

After a defensive stop, a 24-footer by Ionescu grew the lead to 77-73.

But the Lynx weren’t done yet. Bridget Carleton hit a bucket and Napheesa Collier sank a pair of free throws to tie the game at 77 with 16 seconds left — setting the stage for Ionescu’s heroics.

Stewart finished with 30 points. Jones, Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich each contributed 13.

Collier had 22 for the Lynx, followed by McBride with 19.

Before Game 3, the Lynx emphasized that they needed to punch first after constantly trailing the Liberty in the first two games. In the first few minutes, it was evident they had the control they wanted.

After having the lead for just 3:17 across the first two games, the Lynx went on an early 8-0 run to pull ahead by nine, 14-5.

The Lynx continued their tear, leading by as many as 15 points through the opening frame thanks to eight Liberty turnovers leading to 14 Lynx points.

The Lynx closed out the first quarter with a 28-18 lead, marking the lowest Liberty output in an opening quarter in these playoffs — they scored more than 30 in the first two games of the Finals.