NEW YORK – The New York Liberty are focused on bringing their first championship to the franchise after falling just short last year.
They moved one step closer to that goal when Sabrina Ionescu recorded a franchise playoff record with 36 points to help the Liberty beat the Atlanta Dream 91-82 on Tuesday night and advance to the WNBA playoff semifinals.
“The ultimate goal is what it is. But, you know, every game is a championship game to achieve that ultimate goal,” Ionescu said. “And obviously our goal is not to lose at home. So it’s very important for us to go out, take these two and rest for a few days and rest, recharge and get ready for whatever we’re going to do. play.”
Jonquel Jones added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the top-seeded Liberty, which swept the best-of-three series and will face either Las Vegas or Seattle in the next round that begins Sunday in New York. The Aces beat the Liberty in the WNBA Finals last season.
“We have unfinished business,” said Jones, who recorded her 19th career playoff double, passing A’ja Wilson and Lisa Leslie for the fifth-most in WNBA history. It was the 109th double-double of Jones’ career, and her team improved to 85-24 (.780) when she had a double-double, the fifth-best winning percentage in WNBA history (minimum 25 games played).
Liberty took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter and the teams went back and forth before a layup by Courtney Vandersloot made it 75-72 with 5:41 left and started a 12-2 run. Breanna Stewart followed that spurt with an offensive tip-in. It was his first point since the second quarter.
Leonie Fiebich, who scored 21 points in the opening game, followed with a three-pointer to extend the lead to 82-74 with 4:11 left. He then hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to give New York a double-digit advantage for the first time in the game.
“It’s been a little bit of everything,” said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello of the run.
Atlanta couldn’t get any closer than seven other roads.
“I don’t think there’s anything different,” Rhyne Howard said of the New York race. “We fought hard enough, laid out there. The coach told us not to go home with regrets and we did that.”
Allisha Gray and Howard did everything they could to try and prevent the elimination. Gray finished with 26 points and Howard added 19. He also had a massive block on Stewart on a fast break in the third quarter.
“We watched it four or five times before we got in here (to the postgame presser),” Howard said smiling.
Stewart was impressed with Howard’s play
“He’s timed it really well,” the Liberty star said. “He got the block. I won.”
Unlike Game 1, when New York jumped all over Atlanta, the Dreams started quickly behind Gray. They led 28-19 as Gray scored 14 points in the first 10 minutes, hitting all five of his shots, including four 3-pointers.
Atlanta was up 11 in the second quarter before Ionescu started hitting deep 3s. They rallied Liberty to take a brief 40-36 lead before the Dream closed the half on a 12-3 run to go up 48-43 at the break.
Liberty scored an 11-game playoff losing streak in a scenario where they trailed by five or more points at halftime. It was their first win since the 2008 playoffs.
Ionescu tied Cappie Pondexter for the most points by a Liberty player in the postseason. Pondexter set the mark in 2010 also against Dream.
“I guess I should have one more,” Ionescu said, laughing.
Ionescu became the third player with 35 points and five assists in a playoff game in WNBA history and the second to do so in a series win, joining Angel McCoughtry in 2016 against the Storm.
The game drew another crowd for New York that included Olympian Gabby Thomas, singer Pharrell as well as Spike Lee and Whoopi Goldberg. Rapper Ja Rule performed at halftime.
Ionescu said he got a high five from Lee during the third quarter.
“I felt like New York was injected into me. I was like, we won this,” Ionescu said.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
