Sabrina Ionescu

For some historians, it’s sometimes been argued that no 3-pointer in WNBA Finals history passed the test of significance and memorableness quite like the trifecta that connected for the New York Liberty back in 1999. Two-and-a-half decades later, with New York just a pair of victories away from raising title banner No. 1, Sabrina Ionescu discovered a way to both mute the Minnesota Lynx’s crowd, all the while encouraging chatter and debate. Already on the late-game highlight reel with an awe-inspiring triple prior to, Ionescu embarks upon additional history, first working as the always-dangerous inbounder before retrieving the ball far atop the 3-point arc. Isolated on an island with Kayla McBride, Ionescu — just a step above Minnesota’s midcourt logo — offers a subtly-explosive left-side dribble, springboarding her momentum into a fearless 28-foot stepback triple that smoothly sinks through the net. Forever stamped as a hero in “The Big Apple” following her cold-blooded shooting display, Ionescu, elevating her play throughout the fourth, finished with 13 points, five rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, and three 3-pointers in the must-have win on October 16, 2024.

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