With a seven-point lead following a pair of missed free throws from the Sky’s Kahleah Copper, Sabrina Ionescu grabbed the defensive rebound and dribbled the ball up the right sideline near halfcourt. A tired group of Chicago defenders backed off on defense before the Liberty’s star point guard heaved a pass to Stefanie Dolson as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard.
When the final buzzer sounded, Wintrust Arena in Chicago was silent. The Liberty had defeated the reigning WNBA champion Sky, 98-91, in Game 1 of the WNBA playoffs.
In her first year as New York's head coach, a collected Sandy Brondello guided the franchise to its first playoff win since Sept. 23, 2015, against a lineup full of All-Star players, future Naismith Hall of Famers and the reigning WNBA Finals MVP. Filled with exhilaration, Ionescu lifted her arms and let out her emotion as she walked to a team bench full of hugs and smiles after shocking the second-seeded Sky to open the best-of-three series.
