Sabrina Ionescu’s Last-Second Blunder Under Fire While ESPN Analyst Backs WNBA Officials

Hero to Villain. That’s the transition involving Sabrina Ionescu that has taken center stage in the WNBA following the New York Liberty’s 82-80 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in Game 4 of the Finals. With the game tied and just 1 possession remaining, Ionescu failed to deliver her trademark clutch performance. Instead, she committed a costly foul that may have jeopardized the Liberty’s hopes for championship glory.

The foul on Ionescu drew mixed reactions, but ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo defended the officials. “I thought that Sabrina Ionescu’s foul was absolutely the right call, not only because her arms were wrapped behind but because she undercut Bridget Carleton,” Lobo explained.

While Lobo might be correct, Sabrina Ionescu’s costly blunder came at a time when the game was tied at 80-80 and and there were 18.1 seconds left on the clock. In that high-pressure situation, Minnesota’s Courtney Williams missed a midrange shot. Bridget Carleton grabbed the rebound and went for a put-back, but Ionescu committed a shooting foul by backing into her, thereby allowing Carleton a trip to the stripe. There, she sunk both free throws and helped the Lynx to victory, forcing a decisive Game 5.

While putting the Liberty’s foul trouble into perspective, Lobo also noted that Minnesota’s coach Cheryl Reeve had earlier mentioned that Napheesa Collier wasn’t getting the same calls as Breanna Stewart, suggesting some “gamesmanship” in the officiating discussions. Lobo added that while New York took 11 fewer free throws than Minnesota, that wasn’t why they lost. “Do I think that’s the reason the New York Liberty lost this game? No, I do not,” she said while expressing solidarity with the officials in the episode.

The game, which saw 14 lead changes and 13 ties, was one that was tightly contested. In fact, unlike the first 2 games of the Finals, New York’s largest lead was just six points, while Minnesota’s was five, highlighting the adjustments that both coaches have made to their respective teams since Game 1.

Team contributions amid statistical deadlock

Much of game 4 was spent by both teams trying to get an upper hand on the other. The numbers reflect this as both teams shot an identical 39.1 percent from three-point range and similar field goal percentages, with Minnesota at 44.6 percent and New York at 43.7 percent.

Although  Liberty was perfect from the free-throw line (9-9) like last game, Minnesota capitalized on more attempts (15-20). However, New York did dominate the boards with 40 rebounds compared to Minnesota’s 31.

Apart from foul trouble, if one were to speculate on what cost New York the game, it would likely be the turnovers. According to ESPN.com, the Liberty conceded 19 points to Minnesota due to these mistakes, a stat that Lisa Leslie raised concerns over in her recent podcast with Kelley O’Hara.

Although Breanna Stewart got into trouble due to her 4 personal fouls, Jonquel Jones stepped up for New York and scored 21 points on 70 percent shooting, along with eight rebounds.

In stark contrast, Stewart struggled on the scoring end, finishing the night with just 11 points on a dismal 5-for-21 shooting and missing all four of her three-point attempts, a sharp drop from her impressive 30-point effort in Game 3. While Stewart did secure 11 rebounds and made 3 steals, her inefficient shooting was a significant factor contributing to the Liberty’s inability to close out the game.

On the Lynx side, Kayla McBride led the team with 19 points, and Napheesa Collier added 14 points and 9 rebounds to seal the deal. In the aftermath of this tightly contested battle, Ionescu did try to redeem herself with a last-second 32-foot shot. She was unsuccessful.

As the series heads to Brooklyn for the final Game 5, both teams will be giving their all in their last dance for championship glory.