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  Debate

Debate

Is Sabrina Ionescu the new clutch queen, or does Caitlin Clark still hold the crown?

New York Liberty’s standout Sabrina Ionescu once again rose in the clutch as she buried a three-pointer in the last 2.1 seconds to break the tie against the Lynx. Had she missed it, the Lynx would have forced overtime and potentially handed the Liberty a loss. But that was unacceptable for Ionescu, who delivered a three-point contribution when her team needed it most. As impressive as it was, this triggered fans to draw similarities to a game where another WNBA star did something similar.

Who else could it be? Caitlin Clark, known for her exceptional three-point shooting, has had similar clutch moments to overcome opponents’ chances in games. As the fan debate went on, it also caught the attention of Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale, who jumped in to share her take. “Same. But we both ain’t do it in the WNBA finals,” penned Ogunbowale on X.

 

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Right from the beginning of Game 3 of the Finals, Ogunbowale seemed glued to her seat, commenting on every good shot she saw. Even for Ionescu’s game-winning shot, she did the same. “Sabrina so cold for that,” Ogunbowale added, applauding Ionescu’s 35.7% three-point shooting accuracy.

As a fan passed through, she questioned, “Caitlin been did that tho?” It seems Clark’s fans can’t digest anyone standing out against her 34.4% three-point shooting accuracy. But for Ogunbowale, the debate seemed pointless since neither the Indiana Fever rookie nor she herself had hit a last-second three-pointer in the WNBA Finals. How could fans hold back?

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We don’t claim this foolishness, and if this person was actually a Clark fan, they would know that nobody is more hyped about that shot than CC herself,” replied one fan. Surprisingly, moments later, the tweet was deleted by Ogunbowale without any reason mentioned on X. Overall, the 2024 All-Star Game MVP had a good reason for applauding Ionescu.

What’s your perspective on:

Is Sabrina Ionescu the new clutch queen, or does Caitlin Clark still hold the crown?

Have an interesting take?

She’s right: neither she nor Clark can compare to Ionescu’s three-point shots.

Both Clark and Ionescu have been excelling in three-point shooting in their own ways. While Clark holds the record for most three-pointers in a rookie season, Sabrina is renowned for her three-point challenge against Stephen Curry. With all her efforts, she finished with 26 points against Curry, who had 29 in the same contest.

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Even during Game 3 of the Finals, she showed up in a similar way. Despite being a little less productive offensively, grabbing only 13 points, she had the game’s best moment. She went 3-for-8 on three-point shots and 5-for-12 on field goals. In addition, she also had three turnovers. However, her clutch moment in today’s 32 minutes of gameplay wasn’t just the last three-pointer.

In fact, it was a record she broke along the way. With her three three-pointers, she surpassed Crystal Robinson’s record for most three-pointers in Liberty’s history. Now, Ionescu has brought the tally to 63 three-pointers in her four postseason appearances. Though she fell short of breaking Vickie Johnson’s 121-assist record, she did conclude the game with six assists, but needed 11 to claim the record. Now, fans look to her in the next game to surpass the record.