CNN
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New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu set a franchise playoff record by scoring 36 points in the No. 1 seed’s 91-82 win over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday.
The win sends the Liberty into the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs, where they will face the Las Vegas Aces, led by league MVP A’ja Wilson.
After defeating the Dream in the best-of-three series, Ionescu – who contributed nine assists and three steals – said the team is focused on winning the franchise’s first championship, but is taking it one game at a time.
“The ultimate goal is what it is. But you know, every single game is a championship game to achieve that ultimate goal,” she said, according to the Associated Press (AP).
“And of course our goal is not to lose at home, so it was really important for us to play these two games and have a few days off to rest, recharge and prepare for whatever we’re going to play.”
Despite the elimination, Atlanta showed its teeth after a disappointing performance in Game 1.
The Dream had even built up a double-digit lead over the Liberty after a strong start in the first quarter, led by the impressive Allisha Gray, who finished with 26 points.
But it didn’t take long for Ionescu to regain her range – hitting five three-pointers – and the 26-year-old forced the Liberty to act in order to make a repeat of last year’s WNBA finals possible.
Back then, the Liberty lost 3-1 to the Aces, who won their second consecutive championship. This time, however, New York is hoping for a different result.
To win its first WNBA title, New York must find a way to stop Wilson, who led Las Vegas to a series victory over the Seattle Storm.
The Aces won 83-76 on Tuesday and the franchise is seeking a third consecutive title, a feat not seen since the now-defunct Houston Comets won the first four championships in league history between 1997 and 2000.
A’ja Wilson scored 24 points and 13 rebounds against Seattle, supported by Kelsey Plum, who scored the most points of the game with 29 points and six rebounds.
As she did during her historic MVP season, the Aces center broke another WNBA record, surpassing Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker by scoring over 20 points and at least 10 rebounds for the 13th time in the playoffs, according to AP.
Las Vegas started the game strongly on Tuesday, hitting nine shots in a row to open the match and taking a 23-7 lead with 5:15 minutes left in the first round.
But Seattle did not give up the lead and even took the lead for the first time in the game with 7:58 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
But the Aces took a 7-0 run to take the lead for good and battled through a resilient Storm team to secure their sixth consecutive place in the playoff semifinals.
Las Vegas now travels to New York to face the Liberty in the first game of the best-of-five series on Sunday.
“New York is a much better team than last year,” Plum said after Tuesday’s win, according to ESPN. “They’re bigger, they throw the ball faster. So compliments to them.”
“We have to focus on what we can do. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. But they’ve kicked our asses all three times (this season). This is a fresh start.”
“But it’s no secret that they took care of their business and did what they had to do, and that’s why they’re (No.) 1 seed. So it’s a tough fight.”
