Sabrina Ionescu rebounded from a rare off game to score 22 points, and nearly a year after the Aces ended the Liberty’s dream of a championship, New York returned the favor Sunday afternoon by defeating Las Vegas 76-62 to advance to the WNBA Finals.

The top-seeded Liberty will have home-court advantage in the championship series and will face either the Connecticut Sun or Minnesota Lynx, who will play Game 5 on Tuesday. This is the Liberty’s sixth trip to the finals, but the franchise is still seeking its first title.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” said New York’s Breanna Stewart, who had 19 points and 14 rebounds. “This was a tough series, an emotional series for a number of different reasons. But we’re going to the finals and we’re hosting Game 1 and Game 2. We’re ready to go. Just the feeling of not (being) satisfied.”

New York lost in four games to the shorthanded Aces on Oct. 18, 2023, and turned the painful defeat into a mission. The Liberty have been the league’s best team this season and, including the playoffs, went 6-1 against Las Vegas.

The Aces, whose record 12-game home playoff winning streak ended, were hoping to make more WNBA history. Last year, they became the first team since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02 to win back-to-back titles and were trying to become the first club to capture three successive championships since the Houston Comets took four straight in 1997-2000.

golf

Capan finishes Korn Ferry season tied for fifth

Frankie Capan III finished his Korn Ferry Tour season in style, finishing in a tie for fifth at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship at French Lick Golf Resort in Indiana.

Capan carded a 1-under round of 71 on Sunday, shooting 4-under on the back nine after a rough start to his final round. The North Oaks native tallied three top-five finishes over his final five starts of the season, including a win at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship two weeks ago.

Capan got to participate in the post-tournament festivities on Sunday honoring the top 30 finishers on the season-long points list, all of whom earned a promotion to the PGA Tour next season. Capan finished third on that season-long list this season, which will help him earn starts on the top pro tour in men’s golf next season.

Capan earned $744,423 on the golf course this season. The 24-year-old’s next start will likely come Jan. 9 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, his first time teeing it up as a PGA Tour member.

Braden Thornberry birdied the final hole for a 6-under 66 and his first Korn Ferry Tour title. The victory Sunday earned his PGA Tour card.

— Jace Frederick

Yu birdies 18th twice and wins Sanderson Farms

Kevin Yu made a 15-foot birdie on the 18th hole for a 5-under 67, and he birdied it again from 6 feet in a playoff to beat Beau Hossler and win the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title.

Keith Mitchell tied for third with former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, who played the last six holes in 5-under par — including pitching in for eagle on the par-4 15th — for a 66.

Yu hit his winning putt in the playoff, a victory that sends him to the Masters and the PGA Championship for the first time. He also will start his season at Kapalua for The Sentry, a gathering of PGA Tour winners in 2024.

motorsports

Stenhouse snaps 65-race losing streak

A 27-car crash that involved eight of NASCAR’s 12 title contenders. A chaotic cleanup that infuriated competitors. And a surprise winner.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. snapped a 65-race losing streak by winning in overtime at Talladega on Sunday after a late crash collected more than half the field. Stenhouse is not in the playoffs and his victory marked the second consecutive week a driver not competing for the Cup Series title has won.

The victory was the first for Stenhouse and his JTG Daugherty Racing team since he won the season-opening Daytona 500 to start 2023.

BRIEFLY

NHL >> The Boston Bruins signed goalie Jeremy Swayman on Sunday to an eight-year contract that will pay him $66 million,.

NBA >> Karl-Anthony Towns had 10 points on 2-for-7 shooting and four rebounds in 15 minutes in his preseason debut with the New York Knicks.

tennis >> Coco Gauff won her second title this season with a lopsided 6-1, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova in the final of the China Open on Sunday.

— From news services