Liberty put defending champs on the brink of an early exit

WNBA PLAYOFFS

New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart drives past Las Vegas Aces’ Chelsea Gray on Tuesday in New York. FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Image

By Doug Feinberg

The Associated Press

NEW YORK >> Sabrina Ionescu and her New York teammates downplayed being on the brink of knocking off the Aces. In their mind, they haven’t accomplished anything yet.

Ionescu scored 24 points and the Liberty beat Las Vegas 88-84 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five semifinal series.

“Being up 2-0 is great, but we haven’t won anything,” Ionescu said. “Everyone knows that. Did what we were supposed to do, protect home court. Win two at home. We’re not patting ourselves on the back, talking how happy we are. We didn’t come to win two games at home and be satisfied, we’re a hungry group.”

Game 3 is Friday night in Las Vegas, with the two-time defending champion Aces trying to avoid being beaten by the team they beat in the WNBA Finals last year.

“We protected home court. We want to go to Vegas,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “We play well on the road and they play great at home.”

History is on New York’s side.

No team has rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five playoff series in WNBA postseason history. Only Phoenix was able to force a Game 5 in 2018 against Seattle.

“It’s a series for a reason, there’s no championship won off two wins,” Aces forward Alysha Clark said. “I’ve had a lot of playoff experience where I’ve been up 2-0, down 2-0. The series is not over.”

The game was tied at 81 before Ionescu hit a jumper with 1:15 left to give New York a two-point lead. Both teams had chances before Ionescu fouled Tiffany Hayes with 16.9 seconds remaining off a jump ball.

Hayes hit the first of two free throws to make it a one-point game. New York secured the rebound and Ionescu got fouled with 11.6 seconds left and also only hit one free throw to make it 84-82.

Las Vegas had a chance to tie it, but the ball went out of bounds on the sideline with 10.5 to play and after New York challenged the call that it was the Aces’ ball, the officials overturned the decision and gave the Liberty the ball.

Lynx 77, Sun 70>> Courtney Williams scored 17 points and Alanna Smith had 15 points to help the Minnesota Lynx offset an off night for star Napheesa Collier and beat the Connecticut Sun 77-70 Tuesday in Minneaplis to even the best-of-five WNBA semifinal series at one game apiece.

Collier, who scored 80 points in the two-game sweep of Phoenix in the first round, was held to nine points on 3-for-14 shooting. She led the Lynx with 12 rebounds and five assists.