“The greatest shooter of all time”: Sabrina Ionescu stunning outing in Game 1 has fans going nuts

Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty torched the Washington Mystics in Game 1 of their WNBA first-round playoff series. She hit a franchise record seven 3-pointers to help New York to its first home win in the playoffs since 2015.

Ionescu’s sizzling third quarter was crucial in giving Liberty all the momentum heading into the fourth period. She hit the quarter’s final five points which included a deep triple and a sneaky floater to give New York a 69-57 lead.

Fans quickly reacted to Ionescu’s superb performance in Game 1:

“The greatest shooter of all time”

The former Oregon Duck shooter was also lethal when the team needed her most. Washington tried to mount one last desperate rally in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to eight. Ionescu once again came to the rescue.

New York’s sharpshooter hit back-to-back threes to douse any hope of a comeback. The timely triples caused pandemonium in the crowd as the Liberty cruised to the win from thereon.

Sabrina Ionescu’s performance was badly needed by her team. Breanna Stewart, a leading MVP candidate and AP’s Player of the Year, badly struggled. Stewart played 38 minutes but was only 3-16, including 0-4 from behind the arc.

New York was only just 12-34 from deep in Game 1 against the Washington Mystics. If not for Ionescu’s seven triples, that line would have looked even uglier and they could have lost that game.

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Sabrina Ionescu has been sizzling hot throughout the season for the New York Liberty

Sabrina Ionescu’s blistering form against the Washington Mystics has become the norm in the WNBA this season. Fans now expect her to put up the same kind of performance every time she steps on the court.

This season, she is hitting 44.8% (128-286) from behind the arc. In her previous two seasons, she averaged 33.0% of her 3-pointers.

The All-Star 3-Point shootout in July was her coming out party as perhaps the greatest shooter the WNBA has ever seen. Some would even say she’s the best shooter in basketball regardless of league.

In the same competition, she made 25-27 attempts to score 37 points, a record in both the WNBA and NBA. She has hardly cooled down since that momentous night.

The New York Liberty has never won the WNBA championship after four finals appearances. They might finally get over the hump with the way Sabrina Ionescu has been shooting.

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