In the WNBA playoffs semifinal round, the New York Liberty led by Sabrina Ionescu defeated the Las Vegas Aces 88-84 on Tuesday. Ionescu made WNBA postseason history with the victory over the Aces, as ESPN Stats & Info showed. She was the second player to achieve 20 points and five assists while shooting 50% from the field in three consecutive games. Ionescu partnered with Diana Taurasi of Phoenix Mercury. When she accomplished the feat in 2009, she was the first.
Within the last 37 minutes of play, New York Liberty star ended with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Ionescu made 33.3% of his field goals and 50% of his three-pointers. Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game by the end of the 2024 regular season. With a shooting percentage of around 40% from the field and almost 90% from the free-throw line, she was among the league's most effective guards.
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Sabrina Ionescu was HYPED after the Liberty took a 2-0 series lead vs. the Aces 😤
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 2, 2024
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The WNBA All-Star scored 21 points, pulled down four rebounds, and disheveled five assists to help the Liberty win the opening game of the series before her performance in Game 2. Ionescu's outstanding play during the season contributed to the Liberty's WNBA No. 1 seeding. They had a 32-8 record when the season was over.
No team in WNBA has overcome a 2-0 deficit
Sabrina Lonescu and her All-Star teammate Breanna Stewart aim to get revenge for losing to the Aces in the 2023 finals and make it to the championship series after defeating the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. The Aces, who have won two straight titles, will be looking to avoid losing to the club they defeated in the WNBA Finals this past year when they play Game 3 on Friday night in Las Vegas.
In the history of WNBA postseason competition, no team has ever overcome a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five playoff series. In 2018 versus Seattle, only Phoenix managed to force a Game 5.