Wed Sep 25 02:52:22 UTC 2024: ## Ionescu Leads Liberty to Sweep Dream, Sets New Playoff Record
**NEW YORK** – Sabrina Ionescu led the New York Liberty to a dominant 91-82 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night, securing a first-round sweep and advancing to the WNBA semifinals.
The Liberty trailed by eight points midway through the third quarter, but Ionescu ignited a furious rally, scoring nine consecutive points to put her team back in front. She finished the game with a career-high 36 points, along with nine assists and three steals. Her 36 points set a new playoff career-high for Ionescu and tied for the most points in a postseason game by a Liberty player.
“I should have had one more, huh?” Ionescu joked after the game. “Obviously, do whatever it takes to win. They came out and played a hell of a game, and we came out here and took care of business. We owed it to these fans who came out here tonight and supported us. We’re not us without you guys, and we need you every step of the way, because we’ve got unfinished business.”
The Liberty are now set to face the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, a rematch of last season’s WNBA Finals. While the Aces are the reigning champions, Ionescu insists the Liberty are solely focused on their own performance.
“It’s us versus us,” Ionescu said. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We’re gonna come out, we’re gonna play our best basketball because we’ve got a lot of basketball left in us. We’re gonna be at home for two of the games, we need everyone showing up, cheering loud and helping us win.”
The Liberty will look to continue their momentum and avenge last year’s Finals loss to the Aces as they strive for their first WNBA championship.
First Piper 