Appearing unbeatable following four dominant showings in the Commissioner’s Cup qualifiers, the New York Liberty found themselves in a classic “trap game” environment, with little to gain and their opponents longing for win No. 1. The record showed that the Liberty — as their coach described it — “had nothing to lose,” yet, with an indefensible handle in the open floor, Sabrina Ionescu decided to see if it applied to on-court play, too. Seconds removed from watching her teammate convert a behind-the-back pass into a 3-pointer, Ionescu keeps New York’s offense invigorated, first with a fluid behind-the-back to escape the creative, like-minded Julie Vanloo. Rapidly in need of a second maneuver with Karlie Samuelson entering the fray, the three-time All-Star uses a controlled spin dribble before rocketing a transition dime to a teammate in a single motion. Ionescu’s magical play helped the fatigued Liberty overcome both the Washington Mystics’ efforts and a five-games-in-eight-nights stretch. Defending her title as the Eastern Conference’s reigning Player of the Week, Ionescu impressed once more with 19 points (on 7-of-13 shooting), six rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and three trifectas on June 9, 2024. · Jun 9, 2024