The Ripple Effect of Liberty Star's Olympic Silencer

Sabrina Ionescu closed Team USA's latest Olympic victory in style, but the New York Liberty star wasn't running up the score.

Geoff Magliocchetti | Aug 3, 2024

Aug 1, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard Sabrina Ionescu (6) celebrates a three point shot against Belgium in the second half in a women’s group stage game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Liberty

A silencer from from New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu left a deafening impact on the Olympic women's basketball tournament.

Ionescu is responsible for one of the most viral basketball moments of the ongoing Paris Games: toward the end of the United States' Group C effort against Belgium in Lille, Ionescu seemed content to run out the clock on a 10-point victory. Persuaded by her teammates to eschew courtesy, Ionescu obliged in style, launching a successful three-pointer from the cusp of the expanded Olympic logo at midcourt to create the final margin of 87-74.

With a pro-Belgium crowd making its prescience felt throughout the game, Ionescu sent them off with a finger to her lips, much to the delight of her teammates, as Brittney Griner (Phoenix) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix) greeted her with the gesture upon her return to the bench.

Aug 1, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard Sabrina Ionescu (6) celebrates with shooting guard Diana Taurasi (12) after scoring a three point shot against Belgium in the second half in a women’s group stage game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

At first glance, Ionescu's late triple feels like, in the words of Al Michaels, a shot that "mattered to some people." Yet, it had ripple effects on the rest of the Olympic tournament's women's stage.

Team USA is seeking its unprecedented eighth consecutive gold and it would perhaps appreciate that journey being as care-free as possible: though the Americans have a 57-game winning streak rolling into the final stage of group play, only the last two have any effect on seeding for next week's knockout round.

That couple only includes the last two games staged against Group C competition, namely wins over Belgium and Japan. Impressive as those tallies were, the Americans won the couple by "only" a combined 39 .... placing them second behind host nation France (plus-42), which is likewise undefeated entering the last of the group trilogy.

Ionescu's three thus gave the Americans a de facto one-possession deficit to overcome in their hunt for the top seed and sets up an intriguing Sunday doubleheader: the Americans will play for a Group C win against Germany (11:15 a.m. ET, USA) while the French get a local primetime game against Australia (3 p.m. ET, Peacock).

Both opponents have plenty to play for: Germany, featuring Ionescu's New York teammates Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally, would love nothing more than to make a victorious statement in its maiden Olympic voyage while Australia, led by Liberty boss Sandy Brondello, might need both a win and a blowout to secure advancement. Ionescu's three soothes at least some of the pressure that the Americans were facing in terms of landing the greatest point advantage.

Elsewhere on the Olympic leaderboard, one of Ionescu's seamfoam teammates just might owe her dinner before everyone goes their separate ways: the three points that Belgium lost could come up big when it comes to deciding the Olympic fate of Liberty teammate Han Xu and the Chinese national team.

While the top two teams in each group earn automatic advancement to the knockout round, hope lingers for those winless in their opening couple. The top two third-place teams likewise earn spots in the knockout round and the tiebreaker in a compacted schedule is, you guessed it, point differential.

Partly buoyed by a near double-double from Han, China lost its first two before earning a sizable victory over Puerto Rico on Saturday, placing its point differential at minus-1 as it waits for Sunday's results to play out.

Thanks to Ionescu's triple, Belgium, which has played Team USA well in two 2024 meetings (a Breanna Stewart game-winner was necessary during a showdown in February's qualifying tournament), now faces a minus-14 point deficit. As it stands, that would leave them not only the odd team out among third-placers but China remains firmly in the driver's seat. Brondello's Opals may likewise appreciate the insurance: Australia is currently the second team in third, working with a minus-8 ranking.

New Yorkers are long-used to the threes of Ionescu, the WNBA's reigning triple queen, determining fates. This time, though, things have gone international.

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Published Aug 3, 2024

GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks