Ionescu’s 3-pointer is latest iconic last-second shot in WNBA Finals history
AP Basketball Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu’s thrilling shot for the New York Liberty with a second left in Game 3 on Wednesday night will go down as one of the best in WNBA Finals history.
It came 25 years after one of the most iconic shots in basketball history when Teresa Weatherspoon hit a halfcourt heave at the buzzer to even the Liberty’s playoff series with Houston.
The Minnesota Lynx also have their own storied past with Finals buzzer-beaters, finishing on both the winning and losing side because of them.
Here’s a look at five of the most iconic WNBA Finals shots in chronological order:
Game 2 of the 1999 series between New York and Houston
New York trailed 67-65 with 2.4 seconds left when Weatherspoon took the inbounds pass and dribbled to halfcourt and heaved the ball up, seeing it bank in at the buzzer to even the best-of-three series with Houston. The Liberty lost less than 24 hours later to the Comets.
Game 3 of the 2015 series between Minnesota and Indiana
Maya Moore hadn’t hit a buzzer-beating shot since her AAU days. With the game tied at 77, the Lynx star forward caught the ball near the top of the key with 1.7 seconds left. She faked a shot, took one dribble to her right and launched the winning 3. Minnesota took a 2-1 lead in the series and ended up winning it in five games.
Game 1 of the 2016 series between Los Angeles and Minnesota
Alana Beard might be the most surprising player on the list. The defensive star helped the Sparks take a 1-0 lead in the series when she broke a 76-all tie by hitting a jumper in the corner in front of her team’s bench as the clock expired. This was the first year of the league’s playoff format that didn’t go by conferences. The WNBA just took the top eight teams to the playoffs.
Game 5 of the 2016 series between Los Angeles and Minnesota
While Beard got the Sparks the first win, Nneka Ogwumike earned Los Angeles the championship with her Game 5 winner. The back-and-forth contest saw 11 ties and 23 lead changes with the final one coming with 3.1 seconds left. Ogwumike grabbed an offensive rebound and had her first attempt blocked. She went up against and her fadeaway gave the Sparks a 77-76 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Game 3 of the 2024 series between New York and Minnesota
The Liberty rallied from a 15-point deficit and the game was tied at 77 when Ionescu got the ball near halfcourt. She dribbled the clock down before going to her left and pulling up in front of the logo and swishing the 28-footer with a second left. Minnesota couldn’t get a shot off and New York took a 2-1 lead in the series.
___
