Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu evolving into complete player as WNBA semifinals vs. Aces continue

The famed film director/Knicks fan took in Game 1 of this WNBA semifinal from the front row at Barclays Center, wearing a black No. 20 Liberty jersey. Spike Lee watched No. 20 do the right things, just like when he was at the first-round finale and high-fived her during an epic effort.

“To be honest, he might have been the first person that called me when I got drafted here,” Sabrina Ionescu said after the Liberty’s 87-77 win over Las Vegas on Sunday that followed their two-game sweep of Atlanta. “I think that’s a story that I don’t know that I’ve ever said. But he was I think the first person that called me and just shared his excitement about New York getting the No. 1 pick.

"And so kind of every time I’ve seen him along the way, we’ve just had small talk and I kept telling him you’ve got to come out to a game because this is kind of like no other. To be able to see him here cheering us on loud — he was over there chirping at the refs, talking to the players, which was really fun.

“We’re trying to bring a championship here, and it takes a village.”

Lee and the rest of the village are seeing a 5-11 combo guard who has evolved into a more well-rounded player in her fifth season since arriving from Oregon. That was Ionescu’s offseason intent. She is intent on displaying that again in Game 2 Tuesday night at Barclays.

“I think when you’re one-dimensional, it’s obviously a lot easier to guard,” Ionescu said. “Just obviously this offseason I worked really hard on just continuing to get really explosive, get back to driving, using my body, getting contact, getting into the paint and just getting some easy looks at the basket, which opens up the floor for everyone else.”

Her three-point ability draws attention. She slipped from 44.8% in 2023, a WNBA record for those with at least 200 attempts, to 33.3%. Yet her scoring average rose, from 17.0 to 18.2, after working on her first step and her floaters in the lane. Her assist average also was up, from 5.4 to 6.2.

“She’s able to affect the game in so many different ways,” Jonquel Jones said.

Ionescu was an All-Star and All-WNBA second team honoree for the third straight year, and she gained an Olympic gold medal in between. Now she’s on primary ball-handling duty with Courtney Vandersloot taking a reserve role for the playoffs.

“People are not willing to live with [Ionescu’s] threes, which really spreads your defense out,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “It’s always a focal point for us.

“But she’s really kind of the motor with this team. To me, if you’re talking about the head of the snake, Sabrina is the head of the snake. She’s what makes them go with her pace, her ability to read, her ability to put defenses in different dilemmas, and then a willingness to make the right play."

Her defense also has improved.

“We tried to make a [point], ‘Hey, you’ve got to play defense, too. Play is at both ends of the floor.’ And she’s taken that on as well,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “It’s a mindset.

“Now we know she’s not going to be [Betnijah Laney-Hamilton]. But you understand the scout, know what you need to do, where you can be physical, and use her IQ, which is off the charts, to your advantage.”

Ionescu scored 36 in Game 2 vs. the Dream, matching Cappie Pondexter’s franchise postseason record, then followed with 21 in Game 1 vs. Las Vegas.

Ionescu is averaging 24.7 points and 45.8% on threes through these first three playoff games. She averaged 9.8 points last year when the Liberty fell to the Aces in the Finals in four games.

“Obviously, that was my first time last year in a semifinal series, in a final series, and kind of went in blind,” Ionescu said. “And so I think now kind of being able to have that experience of just going through it at least once really helps to know what to expect on the physical side but the mental side as well of knowing what it takes to win a series.”