The challenge of facing the WNBA’s lone remaining unbeaten team on the road was not too daunting for the Liberty to overcome.
In the first head-to-head meeting since taking three of four from Connecticut in last year’s league semifinals — before losing the title to the Las Vegas Aces — Sabrina Ionescu scored 24 points to lead the Liberty to an 82-75 win Saturday over the previously undefeated Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
With the win, the Liberty clinched the Eastern Conference spot in the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup championship game.
“There were so many excuses we could have had. … But we didn’t do that,” said Ionescu, who became the fastest to 300 made 3-pointers (117 games) in WNBA history. “We understood this was a huge game for us, a statement game. They were undefeated. It’s huge for the Commissioner Cup.
“So regardless of how ugly the game was looking, how sloppy it was at times, we stayed poised and played our style of basketball.”
Jonquel Jones, who won MVP honors as a member of the Sun in 2021, contributed 22 points with eight rebounds and four blocked shots for the Liberty (10-2).
Starting guard Courtney Vandersloot missed her second straight game due to personal reasons, but reigning league MVP Breanna Stewart scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half for the Libs, who have won six straight games.
Ionescu and Stewart also were among the 12 players who reportedly will be named to the U.S. Olympic roster — with Fever rookie Caitlin Clark excluded — that will compete in Paris later this summer.
Ionescu told ABC during the game that she wouldn’t comment on the Olympic team until the roster is officially announced
The Sun (9-1) were looking to become the fourth team in WNBA history — and the first since 2016 — to start a season 10-0.
DeWanna Bonner shot 4 for 14 but led Connecticut with 16 points, and Alyssa Thomas had 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
“I don’t think we were under any impression that we were going to go through this season undefeated,” Sun coach Stephanie White said. “Certainly we want to win the ones we’re supposed to, and when you have an opportunity to play a team that has been where you want to go, you want to take advantage of it. We didn’t do that tonight.”
The Libs trailed by as many as seven in the third quarter and by 60-57 entering the fourth.
Stewart netted eight points in the third after scoring just two on two field-goal attempts through two quarters.
Jones’ 3-pointer and Ionescu’s floater helped give the Liberty a 66-64 advantage with under six minutes remaining before another Jones trey expanded the cushion to six with 3:23 to go.
Close-range buckets by Bonner and DiJonai Carrington closed the Sun within 74-72 with 1:59 to play.
Tyasha Harris and Jones traded 3-pointers for a 79-75 game going into the final minute before Ionescu cut to the rim to push the lead to six with 43.0 seconds left.
“I think the chemistry we built last year and the experiences that we had, it helps us now,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “We settled down [in the fourth quarter] and our defense and our connections went to another level, regardless of what happens in the other quarters.
“I felt confident going in, but we just went to another level.”
