Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu nails long 3-pointer to help team to Game 3 win in WNBA Finals

When the New York Liberty needed her the most, Sabrina Ionescu stepped up.

Game 3 was tied astatine 77 apiece with the timepiece ticking down from 7 seconds. The prima defender had a Minnesota Lynx defender connected her. She watched the clip spell down and decided to marque her move.

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New York Liberty defender Sabrina Ionescu, #20, reacts aft making a three-point handbasket during the 2nd fractional against the Minnesota Lynx successful Game 3 of a WNBA hoops last playoff bid connected Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 successful Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Ionescu dribbled to her left, stepped backmost and delivered perchance the top changeable successful franchise history. She nailed the agelong 3-pointer and flexed toward the Target Center crowd.

New York won the crippled 80-77 to instrumentality a 2-1 bid lead.

"I didn’t adjacent truly retrieve it. I had to spell look astatine the video truly rapidly to spot similar however acold I was," Ionescu said aft the game. "I consciousness similar I was capable to get a small separation successful scope and get a truly bully changeable to go."

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New York Liberty defender Sabrina Ionescu, #20, makes a 3-point handbasket during the 2nd fractional against the Minnesota Lynx successful Game 3 of a WNBA hoops last playoff bid connected Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 successful Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

With New York present 1 crippled distant from a WNBA championship, Breanna Stewart said she expects Minnesota to springiness it their each successful Game 4.

"We cognize we’re 1 crippled distant from winning the championship, and I deliberation that they are going to springiness america their champion shot," Stewart said. "They are going to springiness everything they person got, and you cognize what, truthful are we. The turnaround is speedy but we are going to proceed to beryllium ready."

Ionescu had 13 points and six assists. Steward led New York with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

They led New York backmost from a 15-point deficit.

Lynx prima Napheesa Collier had 22 points, and Kayla McBride had 19 points.

"Our defence gave america a accidental to triumph the game, period, and our discourtesy is going to assistance our defense," Minnesota manager Cheryl Reeve said. "If you told maine that we would person got the magnitude of stops that we did, and we were playing disconnected that, and we wouldn’t person scored 80, that would beryllium astonishing to me."

Minnesota Lynx guardant Napheesa Collier, #24, drives to the handbasket during the 2nd fractional against the New York Liberty successful Game 3 of a WNBA hoops last playoff bid connected Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 successful Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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Game 4 is acceptable for Friday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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