Ionescu Lifts Liberty on Final Shot
Published on June 17, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release
CHICAGO - The New York Liberty (11-4) earned a 96-95 road win over the Chicago Sky (4-10) as Sabrina Ionescu's game-winning shot extended the team's win streak to eight games. New York closed Commissioner's Cup play with a perfect 6-0 record and will play in the Commissioner's Cup Championship on June 30.
Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 19 points on 66.7 percent (6-for-9) shooting, adding eight rebounds, three assists and a block. Jones passed Tina Charles (151) for the fourth-most blocks in franchise history with 152, and she also knocked down three of her five attempts from beyond the arc to pass Nicole Powell (167) for the 11th-most 3-pointers in Liberty history. Jones has now made at least three 3-pointers while recording 15 points and a block in three consecutive games, matching the longest such streak in WNBA history.
Breanna Stewart added 17 points on 58.3 percent (7-for-12) shooting from the field to go with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Stewart passed Sancho Lyttle (2,601) for 15th on the WNBA's all-time rebounding list and recorded her 11th game this season with at least 15 points and five rebounds, tied for the most such games by any player in the WNBA so far in 2026. Satou Sabally led the Liberty's reserves with 17 points off the bench, shooting 72.7 percent (8-for-11) from the field in 19 minutes while scoring her 100th point in a Liberty uniform.
Sabrina Ionescu finished with 10 points and made two 3-pointers for her 122nd career game with multiple made 3-pointers, the second-most such games by any player in franchise history. Pauline Astier finished with nine points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists while dishing out at least three assists for the ninth consecutive game, the longest such streak by a 2026 rookie and the third-longest by a rookie in franchise history. She also became the first Liberty rookie to total 150 points, 50 rebounds, 50 assists, 10 steals and 10 made 3-pointers within her first 15 career games, joining just 10 other rookies in WNBA history to do so within 15 games.
Rebekah Gardner scored 10 points off the bench against her former team, the 24th double-digit scoring game of her WNBA career. Leonie Fiebich chipped in nine points, six rebounds and three assists while recording her 64th game with at least one made 3-pointer, the third-most by a Liberty player through the first three seasons of their career in franchise history. Marine Johannès reached 250 career rebounds and recorded a pair of steals in the third quarter to tie her career high for steals in a single quarter. Han Xu set her career high for blocks in a game with three rejections in the first half alone.
Chicago got off to a hot start to take a 15-point lead in the first before the Liberty closed the quarter on a 16-6 run to trail 32-27 after the opening frame. New York shot 62.5 percent (10-for-16) from the field in the first quarter. The Liberty's defense held the Sky to just 13 points and a 31.3 percent (5-for-16) field-goal percentage in the second quarter while New York's bench outscored Chicago's reserves 8-0 in the second. Sabally scored 13 points off the bench before halftime, matching her highest-scoring half of the season, and the Liberty led 47-45 at the break.
New York out-rebounded Chicago 11-6 in the third while shooting 52.6 percent (10-for-19) from the field to extend the lead to 74-68 entering the final quarter. Both teams traded the lead in the fourth quarter, and Chicago regained the advantage with 15.6 seconds left before Ionescu's game-winner with 10.3 seconds remaining in the fourth secured a 96-95 Liberty win. New York scored a season-high 46 points in the paint while shooting 50 percent (33-for-66) from the field in the win.
The Liberty came back from a 15-point deficit for the team's largest comeback win of the season. This was also New York's first time coming back from a 15-point deficit on the road since Game 3 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, with Ionescu hitting a game-winner in both contests. The Liberty's 11-4 record is tied for the team's third-best start through 15 games in franchise history, and Chris DeMarco becomes the second coach in franchise history to exceed 10 wins in his first 15 games as head coach. New York also matched the fourth-longest win streak in franchise history with the team's eighth consecutive win.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 17, 2026
- Golden State Valkyries Conclude Commissioner's Cup with $17,000 Donation to Youth Uprising - Golden State Valkyries
- Seattle Storm Postgame Notes 6.17.26 - Seattle Storm
- Wings Tripped up at Golden State - Dallas Wings
- Valkyries Win Fourth Consecutive Game, Defeat Wings at Chase Center - Golden State Valkyries
- Ionescu Lifts Liberty on Final Shot - New York Liberty
- Sky Fall Short in Final Seconds to Liberty, 96-95 - Chicago Sky
- Sun Drop to Mystics, 88-81 - Connecticut Sun
- The Cup Chase- Volume 13 - WNBA
- Gabby Williams Eighth, Veronica Burton 31st in First All-Star Voting Returns - Golden State Valkyries
- ESPN Commemorates 30th Anniversary of the WNBA's Inaugural Game During Debut of Women's Sports Sundays Presented by TJ Maxx - WNBA
- Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson and Dallas Wings' Paige Bueckers Lead After First Returns of Fan Voting in WNBA All-Star Voting 2026 Presented by Ally - WNBA
- Brionna Jones Injury Update - Atlanta Dream
- WNBA Announces Expansion to 50-Game Regular Season Starting in 2027 - WNBA
- Fever Host Dream Thursday in First Half of Home-And-Home Set - Indiana Fever
- Atlanta Dream Adds Sixth State Farm Arena Game as Fan Demand Continues to Soar - Atlanta Dream
- Chicago Sky Take on New York Liberty in Final Commissioner's Cup Game - Chicago Sky
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
