Barclays Center went crazy as Jonquel Jones led the New York Liberty to a crucial 87-73 victory over the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals. With this essential win the Liberty avoided the three-game sweep and are now trailing 2-1 in the best-of-five series.
Jones finished with 27 points and dominated the court on both sides, she strongly defended the Aces’ star forward A’ja Wilson. Her defense combined with the Liberty’s revamped man-to-man strategy, managed to hold the Aces’ guard trio which had been unstoppable in the first two games. The result was a notable second-half score difference, with the Liberty outscoring the Aces 44-33.
Kelsey Plum of the Aces tried her best to move the scoreboard, scoring a game-high 29 points. However, her teammates Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray struggled, totaling only 19 points at a 29% shooting rate.
The lively atmosphere of Barclays Center reached its peak when Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty hit a dagger three-pointer. With just over 1:43 minutes left on the clock, this shot helped the Liberty past the 80-point mark while the Aces were down at 67. Celebrating this game-sealing moment, Ionescu recreated NBA superstar Stephen Curry’s renowned “night night” celebration, indicating that the game was well out of the Aces’ reach.
Sabrina Ionescu hit the “night night” celebration after her dagger three 😅
(via Bruce Bennett / Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/92lYlz1PmL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 15, 2023
The chemistry between the Liberty’s guard trio of Ionescu, Courtney Vandersloot, and Betnijah Laney was evident. Their combined shooting ability of an impressive 48% on 27 shots, outperformed their Las Vegas rivals for the first time in the series.
Breanna Stewart, the 2023 WNBA MVP, also played well, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds at a 50% shooting rate. The Liberty will now prepare to face the Aces in Game 4 again at Barclays Center, aiming to level the series and keep their championship dreams alive.
Sabrina Ionescu gets praise from Stephen Curry
Three months ago, Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty stole the show at the 2023 WNBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas. In a 3-point contest contest, Ionescu scored an unbelievable 37 out of a possible 40 points, breaking WNBA as well as NBA records. She made 20 consecutive baskets in the competition, which was again a record.
RIDICULOUS! @sabrina_i20 https://t.co/djeRmwh3UO
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) July 14, 2023
Post this amazing achievement, Ionescu confidently said, “Yeah, I knew they were going in, there’s adrenaline. It was the final round. I had just lost in the Skills [Challenge] and I wasn’t going to lose again.”
This performance caught the attention of NBA star Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. Curry, who shares the NBA record of 31 points with Tyrese Haliburton, was clearly impressed. Ionescu celebrated her victory by adopting Curry’s signature “night night” pose and created a memorable moment in the 2023 WNBA All-Star weekend.