Sabrina Ionescu had a career night when the Liberty needed her most. Ionescu scored 36 points and added nine assists to help the Liberty close off a feisty Atlanta Dream team 91-82 in Game 2. The star guard’s 36 points set a new playoff career high and ties the Liberty’s all-time playoff record.

Ionescu also became the first player in WNBA history to record 35+ points, 5+ threes made and 5+ assists in a playoff game, according to Across The Timeline.

After the game, Ionescu delivered a strong message to the Liberty fans in her on court interview on ESPN.

Got some unfinished business 🤝 pic.twitter.com/c7snjZjBuz

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) September 25, 2024

“Do whatever it takes to win,” Ionescu said. “They came out and they played a hell of a game, and we just 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 guys every step of the way because we’ve got some unfinished business.”

Ionescu also joked around after being told she fell just one point short of her career high in the WNBA.

Ionescu’s historic performance helped the Liberty stave off the Dream even on a night where Atlanta came out of the gates and punched them in the mouth first. A 14-point first quarter by Allisha Gray propelled the Dream to an early nine-point lead, and Atlanta held on to take a 48-43 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Sandy Brondello’s team battled foul trouble with both Jonquel Jones and Lionie Fiebich, but Ionescu was there to come up with a big assist or a clutch bucket whenever her team needed it.

The Liberty now await the winner of the Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm, who are playing Game 2 of their series late on Tuesday night. If the Aces close it out with a victory, it will be a rematch of last season’s WNBA Finals in the second round.

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