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SAN FRANCISCO — When Sabrina Ionescu stepped up to the free-throw line with 8.9 seconds left and the game in the balance Wednesday night, she felt weirdly calm.
Maybe it was because she was back in the Bay Area playing for the first time since college and she had dozens of family members and friends in the stands.
Maybe it was because she’s been to Chase Center so many times before to watch the Warriors and Stephen Curry play.
Despite the boos and waving arms trying to distract her, Ionescu drained back-to-back free throws, leading to the Liberty’s 81-78 win against the Valkyries.
Wednesday wasn’t exactly how Ionescu pictured her WNBA homecoming going.
She struggled for most of the night, in part because of a neck injury that prevented her from being able to fully turn her head in either direction.
Ionescu missed her first six shots and had only one point heading into the fourth quarter. She was “scared” to aggressively drive in the paint.
The Valkyries suffocated Ionescu with traps and double-teams all night.
But Ionescu delivered when her team needed her the most.
Ionescu made an important steal with under 26 seconds remaining and scored seven points in the final two minutes.
“She stayed locked in,” Breanna Stewart said. “And when her time and her moment came, it was free throws. It was that huge steal at the end. That’s what this team is about. Some people are going to have off nights, some people are going to have on nights, but we’re all going to collectively make a difference when we’re on the court.”
It was without a doubt a full team effort.
Stewart scored 21 of her 23 points in the first half. She also had 10 rebounds for her second double-double this season.
Kennedy Burke contributed a monstrous 20 points and five rebounds off the bench.
It was the most points she’s scored in a game since 2020.
Give the Valkyries credit.
They might not have the most star-studded roster, but they’re fighters.
That was evident Wednesday, despite the loss.
Kate Martin scored 14 of her team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter.
She knocked down four 3s, too, to put the Liberty on edge.
But New York managed to successfully close out the game to snap its two-game losing streak.
“I’m happy and proud of the way that we’re resilient,” Stewart said. “There’s a lot of things that are happening on our team and we continue to fight through it. But no matter who’s on the floor, we know that this road trip is tough and we want to take it one game at a time. This is an incredible atmosphere to be a part of and happy we’re walking away with a win.”
