MINNEAPOLIS — What’s this about Sabrina Ionescu not making the All-WNBA First Team?

It’s tough to determine what was more breathtaking on Wednesday night at the Target Center: Ionescu’s last-second, 28-foot shot that secured a dramatic 80-77 win for New York over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, or her modest take on her own performance afterward.

“That was just a great All-WNBA Second Team performance,” Ionescu quipped, resting her chin on her hand, grinning. “That’s all.”

In actuality, it was more than a notable outing; it was a clutch display that placed the Liberty on the cusp of their first WNBA championship. With the series now at 2-1 in favor of New York, Game 4 is set for Friday in Minneapolis. Should the Lynx force a Game 5, it will take place back in New York.

Before the All-League honors were made public on Wednesday afternoon, Ionescu expressed to reporters that she held no resentment for not making the first team despite having a stellar season. Those who did make the first team included her teammate Breanna Stewart (who surprisingly was not a unanimous selection), Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, Las Vegas’s A’ja Wilson, Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas, and Indiana’s rookie Caitlin Clark.

Ionescu ended up sixth in voting with 204 points, trailing Clark (302 points) and Thomas (255 points) while being the top vote-getter for the second team. She maintained that individual accolades didn’t matter to her; her sole focus was winning. Nevertheless, the former top pick in the draft — who entered the league with a buzz reminiscent of Clark’s just four years earlier — certainly demonstrated she had something to prove. If she continues performing like this during crucial moments, the series might conclude within four games.

After falling behind by as much as 15 points, New York regained the lead at 74-73 with 1:31 remaining when Ionescu penetrated the defense and assisted Jonquel Jones for an easy basket. This marked the Liberty’s first lead since early in the first quarter at 5-2.

Ionescu’s assist to Jones brought her final tally to seven points, six assists, and five rebounds — certainly commendable, but not reflective of her usual scoring prowess, particularly with her reputation for long three-pointers.

However, as Ionescu stated, you have to work with what the defense gives you, and she wasn’t concerned.

This mindset led her to hit a critical three-pointer 35 seconds later, extending New York’s lead to 77-73.

Minnesota quickly answered with a tough layup by Bridget Carleton, followed by two free throws from Collier that leveled the score at 77-77 with just 16 seconds remaining. At this point, New York’s coach Sandy Brondello called a timeout and looked to Ionescu, stating, “You’re going to take this shot.” The entire huddle, including Stewart who scored 22 points in the second half, concurred.

After a foul from the Lynx, New York inbounded the ball. Ionescu took a few moments to dribble before executing a step-back move to her left, creating space away from Kayla McBride, and sinking a 28-foot shot with just one second left. Minnesota couldn’t manage a shot before the final buzzer sounded.

McBride remarked, “A great player made a great shot. I was on her for 40 minutes.”

Brondello praised Ionescu, saying, “What I admire is her self-belief. Not everyone has the ability to make such crucial shots, but she can.”

Ionescu’s journey has been filled with challenges. Four years ago, the 5-foot-11 guard entered the league amidst great excitement following a remarkable college career where she set numerous records, including the NCAA record for triple-doubles (26 total, the highest for any player in NCAA history). She was also the first-ever NCAA player to achieve over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists.

Ionescu helped lead Oregon to its first Final Four in 2019 and chose to return for her senior year instead of leaving for the WNBA, aiming to secure a championship for the Ducks. Unfortunately, COVID-19 disrupted the 2020 NCAA Tournament, leading to a disappointing end to her college career.

She was picked first in the 2020 WNBA draft — much like Clark this past spring — and secured a significant endorsement deal with Nike before playing her first professional game. Shortly thereafter, she faced a serious ankle injury just three games into her rookie season, sidelining her for the remainder of that season in the “wubble.” Even a year later, she was not fully recovered.

It wasn’t until last offseason that Ionescu began to feel like her former self. She worked on refining her floater shot during the offseason and earned a spot on the 2024 Olympic roster. Furthermore, she released the second version of her Nike signature shoe, popular among several NBA players, earlier this spring (she also got married and even invited the Oregon Duck mascot to her wedding reception).

It felt entirely appropriate that Ionescu made this shot, not just because many recent spectators had started to recognize the league and wrongly claimed Clark was the lone player capable of hitting shots like that, but often went beyond that to say Clark was the only entertaining aspect of the WNBA.

The reality is, Ionescu has been honing and visualizing these types of shots for years.

“I didn’t fully grasp how far I was from the basket, but like I said, it’s a shot I practice regularly,” she noted.

“It’s not just a random shot that I’m hoping will go in,” Ionescu explained. “When I release it, I feel confident that it’s going in.”

Ionescu rarely misses. However, the voters for this season’s All-WNBA team have a different record.