INDIANAPOLIS — 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, despite blowing an 18-point fourth-quarter lead.
Aliyah Boston hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation for Indiana, which had a chance to win its last two home games on last-second 3-point attempts. It was the rookie's second 3 of the season.
That tied the game at 80 but the veteran Liberty pulled away in overtime as Ionescu hit two of her seven 3-pointers and the young Fever missed its last four shots.
Brenna 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 3-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 3 to open overtime. The Fever reeled off 16-straight points and Erica Wheeler had a three-point play with 12.9 seconds to go and Boston's 3 completed the comeback.
Boston had 23 points for the Fever (5-15), who have lost eight-straight. 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 Lexie Hull has a broken nose. Both played Sunday.
NEW YORK 95, INDIANA 87
NEW YORK - Laney 4-9 1-3 10, Stewart 4-15 8-8 18, Jones 5-8 0-0 12, Ionescu 9-18 9-9 34, Vandersloot 3-9 0-0 6, Sabally 2-3 3-4 7, Thornton 3-6 0-0 6, Willoughby 1-1 0-0 2, Johannès 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 31-74 21-24 95.
INDIANA - Caldwell 0-0 0-0 0, Vivians 1-9 0-0 3, Boston 10-19 2-3 23, Mitchell 5-12 5-5 16, Wheeler 4-12 3-3 11, Cannon 7-9 3-4 19, Saxton 0-1 0-0 0, Zahui B 0-2 0-0 0, Berger 5-16 4-6 15, Wallace 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 32-82 17-21 87.
New York 22 26 20 12 15—95
Indiana 26 15 12 27 7—87
3-Point Goals—New York 12-36 (Ionescu 7-14, Jones 2-4, Stewart 2-5, Laney 1-3, Sabally 0-1, Thornton 0-2, Vandersloot 0-3, Johannès 0-4), Indiana 6-21 (Cannon 2-3, Boston 1-1, Berger 1-3, Mitchell 1-6, Vivians 1-6, Wallace 0-1, Zahui B 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—New York 47 (Stewart 10), Indiana 40 (Boston, Vivians 9). Assists—New York 27 (Vandersloot 12), Indiana 20 (Wheeler 5). Total Fouls—New York 22, Indiana 22. A—6,123 (20,000).
