Stewart, Ionescu Closing in on Championship Glory

fbpronoy92@gmail.comJuly 5, 20252 Mins read4

As if these WNBA Finals needed any more drama, we just added another chapter.

The New York Liberty, led by Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu stole Game 3 on the road 80-77 over the Minnesota Lynx. It’s already the second come-from-behind win of these finals. New York had been trailing most of the game but fought back to go up 2-1 in the series.

Ionescu had struggled most of the night. However, she knocked down two clutch threes including the game-winner with one second left.

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP!!!! 🤯

SA-3️⃣-NA with the game winning triple🔥

Libs take Game 3!!! | LIGHTITUPNYL pic.twitter.com/83ULlMDZpU

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) October 17, 2024

This became the largest comeback win in New York Liberty WNBA Finals history. With the win, New York pushes itself to the brink of delivering its first-ever WNBA championship. A win like that is what makes a championship team. There were so many ups and downs in this one. This game only continues to make this one of the most memorable finals in league history.

All three #WNBAFinals games are now ranked in the top 13 for best Finals attendance. Tonight's game 3 in Minnesota ranks #5. Sunday's Game 2 is ranked #11 & Thursday's Game 1 is ranked #13. C/O @WBBTimeline pic.twitter.com/TvsOn4nSZ0

— Todd Roman (@TBRBWAY) October 17, 2024

New York got off to a slow start while the Lynx, led by Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier, were red hot as they took a 28-18 first-quarter lead. Things got a bit better as the Liberty cut the deficit to eight points heading into halftime. This is despite some questionable calls made by the referee crew.

As the second half got underway, it was clear that Sandy Brondello wanted her team to be more aggressive on the offensive side.

Stewart took that to heart. Led by the future hall of famer’s dominant play, she guided the Liberty to a one-point deficit heading into the final 10 minutes.

She finished with a game-high 30 points on 9-of-20 shooting and an impressive 10-for-10 clip from the charity stripe. The girl they call, “Stew York City” also made history. She became the first player with 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 4+ blocks in a WNBA Finals game. Her play tonight is exactly why the Liberty wanted her in free agency in the first place.

For moments like this.

Breanna Stewart was HUGE tonight!

She finished with:

🔥30 PTS
🔥11 REB
🔥4 BLK
🔥45% FG
🔥100% FT
🔥LIBERTY WIN

Let's show some love to our SUPERSTAR 🤩#LIGHTITUPNYL | #WNBA pic.twitter.com/D43YiwyEYr

— Liberty Lead (@LibertyLeadSM) October 17, 2024

Another player who stepped up down the stretch was Jonquel Jones. The 6-foot-6 center was a force in the paint in the second half. She finished with eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal. She did this while disrupting a lot of layup attempts by the Lynx. Defense truly does win you championships and New York took that to heart when it mattered most.

As for Ionescu, her game-winning shot will go down as one of the greatest shots in league history. If the Liberty can close out these finals, it will be arguably the greatest moment in Liberty history. Her idol, the late Kobe Bryant, made many shots like that and you have to wonder if the “Black Mamba” was there in spirit guiding Ionescu. Her late-game heroics showcased that it isn’t about how you start a game, it’s about how you finish it.