Sabrina Ionescu, to put it kindly, did not have the best start to the crucial third game of the WNBA Finals between the Liberty and the Lynx, with the series tied one game apiece.
It's safe to say no one will remember that. After all, it's not how you start. It's how you finish. And Ionescu finished with one of the greatest shots in WNBA history, a deep 3-pointer with one second left to lift New York to an 80-77 victory.
The Liberty trailed by 15 earlier in the game, and Ionescu's iconic shot capped the third-largest comeback in WNBA Finals history while giving New York a 2-1 series lead and stunning the Minnesota crowd. Furthermore, it's the Liberty's first WNBA Finals road win since 1999.
Obviously, Ionescu's final dagger is the shot 'heard round the world -- the one that will live on forever -- but Ionescu was excellent down the entire stretch run, not just in the final seconds. Her assist to Jonquel Jones gave the Liberty a 74-73 lead with 1:31 left, New York's first lead since the first quarter. With 55.1 seconds left, Ionescu buried a 3-pointer to extend the lead to four.
But after a Bridget Carleton bucket and two Napheesa Collier free throws, things were knotted up again. With the crowd going wild, Ionescu made the silencer of all silencers, and plenty of stars took notice.
Ionescu and the Liberty will have an opportunity to end the series and win their first WNBA title in Game 4 on Friday.