Sabrina Ionescu scored nine of her 29 points in the final 60 seconds, including three consecutive three-point plays, as the New York Liberty erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Chicago Sky 95-94 at Barclays Center on Wednesday night.
Jonquel Jones hit the go-ahead free throw with 3.4 seconds remaining after Courtney Vandersloot's lob to Kamilla Cardoso resulted in a missed layup and a foul on the rebound. The Liberty completed a stunning turnaround that saw them trail 91-85 with less than a minute to play.
Ionescu's scoring burst began with a contested three-pointer from the corner while falling out of bounds. She followed with another triple and then converted a three-point play with 15.1 seconds left to tie the game at 94-94, setting up Jones' decisive free throw.
The Liberty (15-12) had struggled to contain Sydney Taylor, who posted a career-high 31 points for the Sky (9-18). Taylor knocked down three-pointers from deep range throughout the night, including one that pushed Chicago's lead to 84-72 with 5:30 remaining. Vandersloot added 14 points and Cardoso scored 10 for the visitors.
Breanna Stewart contributed 20 points and nine rebounds for New York, while Jones finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Rebecca Allen scored 12 points off the bench. Ionescu shot 8 of 11 from the field, making five three-pointers and all eight of her free-throw attempts.
The Liberty, playing without several rotation players due to injury, showed the resilience that carried them to the WNBA Finals last season. The comeback improved their record to 15-12, keeping them in the upper half of the WNBA standings as the playoff race intensifies.
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