Wings Clip Liberty's Playoff Momentum Despite Ionescu Showcase

The Liberty dropped another crucial contest despite a season-best from Sabrina Ionescu.

Much has been made about a prized basketball import coming over from Dallas to New York. Unfortunately for the New York Liberty, they couldn't pair a big victory with Jalen Brunson's New York arrival.

Despite a season-best scoring output from Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty couldn't overcome an all-time high for Marina Mabrey, who put in 31 for the Dallas Wings in an 86-77 victory over New York at College Park Center in Arlington on Monday night. Ionescu's 32, one short of her own career-high (earned against Dallas in her rookie year of 2020), wasn't enough to keep the Liberty (13-20) in the WNBA playoff hunt. With three games remaining, they're now engaged with Minnesota and Los Angeles in a three-team logjam for ninth place, the first seed off of the bracket. Each is one game behind Phoenix for the final spot. 

More history awaited Ionescu in another losing effort: with her second of four assists on the night, Ionescu passed Teresa Weatherspoon as the Liberty's all-time single-season leader in assists (208). Weatherspoon, now an assistant coach with the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans, had held the record since 1999.

On the other hand, Dallas (17-16) clinched its second consecutive playoff berth under the watch of Liberty Ring of Honor member Vickie Johnson. In the wake of a constantly shifting playoff picture, the Wings are locked into the sixth seed with three games remaining on their own docket. Their 17th win is also good for their best since 2015 (winning 18 as the Tulsa Shock) and their best since moving to Dallas in the following season.

"She's a former player. She she was a tough player. She's bringing a mindset to this team," Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said of Johnson's coaching abilities. "If you got all these great pick and roll players and you can put a post player like Teaira McCowan in the action, which you have to defend, it makes it really hard. We were trying to trap (McCowan) tonight and they find the open shooters all around it. So I think they're just well balanced."

Ionescu did her best to shoulder the Liberty load, especially with fellow 2021 All-Star Natasha Howard out with an ankle injury sustained in Saturday's loss in Phoenix. To that end, she was responisble for 25 of the 39 Liberty points in the second half, which ended with Dallas earning a 23-13 victory in the final ten-minute frame. Mabrey countered Ionescu's efforts with 20 second half points of her own while McCowan (Ionescu's Western Conference counterpart in the most recent WNBA Player of the Week vote) had 10 more, falling just short of a double-double (16 points, 9 rebounds total). 

"We executed what we wanted to, we didn't adjust well. We just didn't finish the game off as we well as we should have," Ionescu said. "We got movement out of the ball (in the fourth). We got what we wanted on the offense, but then we just didn't get all the stops we needed. We gave up some offensive boards, I think they had nine at one point. I think we just need to continue to rebound the ball, continue to push the ball, in transition and take care of the ball on offense."

New York was charged with 14 turnovers in defeat and was out rebounded 9-5 on the offensive glass. Ionescu led the team with seven total rebounds to go with her season-best in scoring.

Additionally, Ionescu was the lone New York representative to visit the foul line all night, sinking all 12 of her attempts. 

The Liberty managed sneak back into the game with a strong second quarter, which partly erased a 24-13 Dallas lead thanks to Marine Johannes' 16 tallies. While Ionescu's outing have been awe-inspiring from a record book and MVP standpoint, Johannes voiced an uncomfortable truth in the aftermath.

"She was great for us ... she does a lot on the court and for our shooting in a positive way," Johannes said. "She had a great game and I hope we can we can adjust some stuff for the next game ... she's here every night, she's here for the team and we have to help her."

New York and Dallas will cap off its three-game season set on Wednesday, when the Liberty return to Arlington (8 p.m. ET, YES). The Wings will look for a sweep, having earned a win in the lone Brooklyn meeting back in May.