Sabrina Ionescu scored eight of her 34 points in overtime and the New York Liberty clinched a berth in the Commissioner’s Cup championship with a 95-87 win over the Indiana Fever on Wednesday in Indianapolis, despite blowing an 18-point fourth-quarter lead.
Aliyah Boston hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of regulation for Indiana, which had a chance to win its last two home games on last-second three-point attempts. It was the rookie’s second three of the season.
That tied the game at 80-80 but the veteran Liberty pulled away in overtime as Ionescu, a former Oregon Ducks star, hit two of her seven three-pointers and the young Fever missed their last four shots.
Breanna Stewart had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Liberty (14-4), who play at Western Conference winner and defending champion Las Vegas for the Commissioner’s Cup on Aug. 15. Courtney Vandersloot had 12 assists, the last going to Betnijah Laney for a three-pointer that broke an 85-85 tie with 1:52 left in overtime.
Vandersloot’s layup with 7:27 left in regulation had the Liberty up 74-56 but their next field goal was Ionescu’s three to open overtime. The Fever reeled off 16 consecutive points. Erica Wheeler had a three-point play with 12.9 seconds to go before Boston’s three completed the comeback.
Boston had 23 points for the Fever (5-15), who have lost eight in a row. Emma Cannon had a career-high 19 on 7-of-9 shooting, Kelsey Mitchell added 16 and Grace Berger also had a career high with 15.
The Fever had a different starting lineup for the first time this season with leading rebounder NaLyssa Smith and Lexie Hull injured. Smith will miss two weeks with a stress fracture in her left foot and Hull has a broken nose. Both played Sunday.
— The Associated Press
