NEW YORK (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu knew a big game was coming.
It didn't take long Tuesday night for the Liberty's star guard to make her presence felt in the Commissioner's Cup championship game, which New York won 93-85 over Las Vegas. Ionescu scored 26 points to help the Liberty win the in-season tournament for the second time.
“Keep the faith and tables will turn at some point and that was tonight,” she said.
Two quick 3-pointers and Ionescu looked like the player who has made multiple All-Star teams. She had been dealing with injuries this season. First it was a sprained ankle in the preseason that sidelined her for the first two weeks. Then after playing in one game, a back issue sidelined her for the next three weeks. She returned to the lineup on June 14.
After the game was over, the 15,000 fans were chanting Ionescu's name.
“It was special,” she said. "I always continued to have that belief in myself since I know the work I put in,” Ionescu said. “(An) injury or two isn’t going to diminish who I am.”
She always seems to excel against Las Vegas. Last week, Ionescu had 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Aces.
“Her game never takes me by surprise,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. “She’s too good.”
Ionescu came into the game shooting 27% from behind the 3-point arc on the season. She's a career 35% shooter. On Tuesday she hit five 3s, with a deep one sealing the win with about 17 seconds left.
“When you're coming back from an injury it's tough,” said teammate Breanna Stewart, who earned MVP honors for the game. “The process is tough. ... Her being aggressive and making those 3s, that dagger 3, are big moments. ... I'm happy for her.”
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Expedia Cruises invites you to experience travel at its most refined. From intimate wildlife… Read moreElite Explorers Expo
Be a winemaker for an evening and craft your own Bordeaux-style blend. Read moreIntroduction to Wine Blending
Dirk van Ulden said:
CA Is Burning said:
Opinions are not facts
CA Is Burning said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.