Liberty Star Explains Seated Sink

Sabrina Ionescu found yet another new way to score for the New York Liberty.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

There are bench points and then there's what Sabrina Ionescu pulled off for the New York Liberty on Friday night in Seattle.

Ionescu made a unique addition to her already expansive highlight reel toward the end of the Liberty's 98-85 win over the Seattle Storm: midway through the fourth period, with the Liberty nursing a single-digit lead, Ionescu scored sitting down, putting back her own miss from her knees en route to the victory.

"I felt like it was the most open I've been all night, and so I decided to go for it," Ionescu quipped in the aftermath as teammate Breanna Stewart was unable to contain her laughter. "To be honest. I didn't really realize I was on the ground. I just saw the basket, and it looked good."

Covered by Team USA Olympic teammate Jewell Loyd, Ionescu had leaned in an attempt to draw a foul, but that attempt fell by the wayside and Seattle seemed poised to get possession back. But the resulting misfire fell right in a diving Ionescu's hands and she wasted no time putting it back up, giving the Liberty a 10-point lead at the halfway mark of the final period.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

With New York also nursing a costly turnover problem (losing 18 more despite Friday's win), Ionescu decided that an extra shot attempt was the more prudent choice, especially with Jonquel Jones back on the floor despite a illness. Instead, her quick, highlight-reel worthy thinking earned New York a crucial double.

"I got the rebound. I put it up," Ionescu said of her thought process. "I figured that, if I was going to hold it, I was probably going to turn it over. Coach talks about turnovers, so I figured, give us a second chance, maybe by throwing it at the rim and having JJ go rebound. But it actually went in, so I'll take it shoot or shoot."

Friday offered a welcome return to form for Ionescu, who had a trying week after returning from a two-game absence due to a neck injury. Having shot less than 30 percent from the field in her first three games back from the neck woes, the gold medalist was 7-of-16 en route to 25 points, all but five coming in the second half.

With her first of three triples, Ionescu also set a WNBA landmark, as she has now hit at least one from deep in 56 consecutive games. That's now the second-longest in league history and 10 short of the Association record set by Washington's Ivory Latta between 2013 and 2015. Ionescu earned that triple with another highlight, getting three on one foot in a shot that some Liberty felt channeled her inner Marine Johannes.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

New York (27-6) dropped two of its prior three in the wake of Ionescu's struggles but head coach Sandy Brondello credited her point guard with maintaining her usual workload despite her ailment.

"I think she was just overthinking about, am I going to get hit there again, even though she was feeling better," Brondello said before Friday's win. "I think that took away her aggressiveness, particularly into the paint ... Obviously, we weren't playing great, but she was trying to help us, but maybe pressing the action a little bit. We just need her to just flow into the game and take the shots. We want her to be aggressive, but hopefully she's feeling better, so hopefully she'll get downhill a little bit more."

Ionescu and the Liberty have a slight chance to relax as they're off until Thursday, when the same Storm visits Barclays Center (7 p.m. ET, WNYW/Amazon Prime Video).

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