Sabrina Ionescu said she had “nothing” going on in her mind as she started to heat up.
Her head was clear. She was at peace.
“That’s kind of the best place to be as a shooter,” Ionescu said after Tuesday’s series-clinching 87-71 win against the Minnesota Lynx.
Ionescu hasn’t had much to smile about this season as she’s dealt with injuries and difficult stretches.
Tuesday was a different story.
Ionescu played her best game in months and seemed to enjoy every moment of it as she helped New York sweep the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 2-0.
Ionescu scored 18 points and made four 3-pointers.
She also contributed seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in nearly 33 minutes.
Rebecca Allen said a night like Tuesday can do wonders for a player’s confidence.
But she also emphasized the impact Ionescu makes even when her shot isn’t falling.
“She’s a magnet for defenses,” Allen said. “Whether she’s hitting those shots, she’s creating open ones for everyone else too because she’s really drawing attention all the time. That can’t be undersold … She draws so much attention.”
Breanna Stewart removed the towel from her already swelling left eye and waved it to the crowd in classic pro-wrestling fashion.
Here was your babyface-in-peril scenario: Stewart took a scary shot to the face from Olivia Miles as she ducked in for a layup and went down clutching her face.
As the officials went to the monitor for the review that upgraded the foul to a flagrant 1, Stewart exhorted the Barclays Center faithful — only too happy to respond with chants of “M-V-P.”
“To see her get up and get the crowd involved like that, it was exciting,” Jonquel Jones said.
Miles, one day after being named Rookie of the Year, had a disastrous outing.
The Lynx point guard finished with five points, one assist and two turnovers in 16 minutes and found herself stapled to the bench for almost the entirety of the second half.
“Clearly she’s not a complete player yet,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said.
Miles had missed the final two games of the regular season due to a calf injury.
The Lynx trio of Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams shared an extended embrace on the court as the final seconds ticked off their stunning loss.
It’s natural to wonder whether it was the last we’d see of a Lynx core that remains without a title despite several chances.
Collier, who finished with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting, will be a free agent this offseason after notably making a one-year commitment before this season.
