Sabrina Ionescu planted her feet and let the ball fly.
Through the net it fell Tuesday night. She celebrated by waving finger guns.
Finally.
For two weeks, Ionescu had been searching for her shot and fit within a new system that matured without her.
She looked off a count in an offensive dance she usually leads. She couldn’t shake the rust that made her look like a shell of the superstar she is.
For two weeks, Ionescu has been trying to give her grace, preaching patience and focusing on her next opportunity to get right.
On Tuesday, in front of a packed Barclay Center, Ionescu finally broke through.
And what a night to do so.
Ionescu’s drained the dagger 3 with 16.8 seconds left. She finished with a team-high 26 points to help lift the Liberty to the 93-85 win against the Las Vegas Aces to capture this year’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship.
The “SA-BRI-NA” chants echoed from the home crowd during the team’s on-court celebration.
“It was special,” Ionescu said. “I’ve always continued to have that belief in myself… an injury is not gonna diminish my understanding of who I am and the work that I’ve put in to get where I am today.”
It was refreshing to see Ionescu play like herself again. It was like she had been reminded she’s Sabrina Elaine Ionescu, a four-time WNBA All-Star who’s one of the league’s best sharpshooters. She played her way and it flowed well within the Liberty’s plans.
Ionescu scored the Liberty’s first eight points to help New York take an early 10-2 lead.
She had a season-high 17 points by halftime.
In the second half, she found her flow as a facilitator, dishing out all five of her assists in the final two quarters.
Ionescu had a tough start to the season. Outside of suffering a season-ending injury three games into her rookie season, Ionescu had never missed this much time in the season and tried to return.
How does an athlete as competitive, hungry and talented as Ionescu deal with the teething troubles of fitting into a team she has a lot of familiarity playing for but not in this version?
Ionescu injured her left foot in the Liberty’s final preseason tune-up, which sidelined her for the first two weeks of the season. She returned for one game before back soreness flared up.
At first, coach Chris DeMarco said Ionescu was day-to-day. She ultimately was sidelined for three weeks.
Ionescu received the green light to return to play June 14. She repeatedly said she felt physically fine, but didn’t look like it.
In the seven games leading up to Tuesday, Ionescu averaged 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 29 percent from deep.
Tuesday was Ionescu’s welcome back party. She drained five 3s, grabbed five rebounds and had five assists to finish a team-best plus-19.
“Her game never takes me by surprise,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “She’s too good. And by the way, I don’t know if anybody’s noticing this crowd, she likes big moments and big shots.”
Indeed she does.
