Sabrina's Ionescu's Epic Shot Put Her One Liberty Win From Legendary Status
Sabrina Ionescu's game-winning three in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals was nothing short of iconic. And once the ball went through the net it put her one more New York Liberty win over the Minnesota Lynx from legendary status.
Sabrina actually struggled for much of the 80-77 victory that has the Liberty on the cusp of a championship, as it was Breanna Stewart who carried New York to the comeback. Stewie was dominant in putting up 30 points and 11 rebounds.
But Stewart is already a 2x WNBA champion and arguably the best player of her generation.
Sabrina now has a chance to cement her own spot by completing a year that saw her go head-to-head with Stephen Curry in the NBA All-Star Game and hit the biggest shot in Liberty history, as it was described by Ryan Ruocco on the broadcast.
"I'm built for this moment" - @sabrina_i20 😤 https://t.co/Bpu4uK2Jkh pic.twitter.com/EydbYO5pR1
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 17, 2024
Ionescu stated, "I'm built for this moment", after hitting the deep trey to put the Lynx away. She certainly proved it with the cold-blooded shot.
Cold blooded killer @sabrina_i20
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 17, 2024
But as another player known for being built for the moment once said, "Job's not finished". The late-great Kobe Bryant was a public admirer of Sabrina and it is certain she agrees with his famous sentiment.
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 17, 2020
Because for her shot to truly stand the test of time, she and the Liberty need to close out the series and hoist the trophy.
If that happens, not only does Sabrina become an instant WNBA legend, but she should also carve out a place in New York sports lore. Since I can't recall a bigger shot in recent New York basketball history.
Ionescu would culminate a season that saw so many new eyeballs on women's basketball with what could go down as the most memorable on court moment, if the Liberty do indeed finish the job.
One more win and her shot will be the defining moment of a championship and should lead to Sabrina and her teammates taking a trip down the Canyon of Heroes in New York City.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!