Sabrina Ionescu joins elite WNBA company in near game-saving Liberty performance

Sabrina Ionescu delivered a standout performance for the New York Liberty in their 101-99 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday. With the team missing the injured Breanna Stewart, Ionescu stepped up, scoring 30 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out six assists, and recording four steals. This stat line made her only the fourth player in WNBA history to achieve those numbers in a single game.

Ionescu stated she focused on playing her game, reading the defense, and facilitating the offense to compensate for missing scorers. She scored 17 points in the first half. Though contained in the third quarter and early fourth, Ionescu took over late, tying the game with an and-one play just over two minutes remaining. She then hit two key jumpers in the final minutes. This 30-point effort followed a 29-point game the previous night and marked her third 30-point game of the season.

Alongside Natasha Cloud, who contributed 22 points, Ionescu helped replace Stewart's production in crucial moments. Despite Ionescu's dominant night (entering the game averaging a career-high 18.9 ppg and having made her fourth consecutive All-Star Game), the Liberty couldn't get a stop on the final possession, denying her a chance to secure a win.

The Liberty also dealt with other injuries: Kennedy Burke was ruled out with cramping after playing only 6:08, and Leonie Fiebich (10 points) played with her hand wrapped after injuring it the previous day. Additionally, Jonquel Jones moved into seventh place on the Liberty's all-time blocks list with 114 blocks.