The New York Liberty nearly watched a 28-point lead disappear Thursday night.
Instead, they survived.
New York built a commanding 69-41 advantage early in the fourth quarter before the Los Angeles Sparks erupted for a stunning 21-0 run, turning what looked like a runaway Liberty victory into a four-minute fight to the finish. The Sparks eventually pulled within one, but Sabrina Ionescu and New York made just enough plays down the stretch to escape with an 85-81 victory.
Ionescu finished with 20 points, including two critical free throws with 14.8 seconds remaining that pushed the Liberty’s lead back to three. Rae Burrell delivered a spectacular performance for Los Angeles, scoring a career-high 28 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter, but the Sparks couldn’t complete what would have been one of the largest comebacks in WNBA history.
Jonquel Jones anchored New York’s dominant first three quarters with 11 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, while Rebecca Allen added 13 points and Breanna Stewart finished with 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.
The win moves New York to 21-14 on the season, while Los Angeles drops to 12-21. What appeared to be an easy night for the Liberty ultimately became anything but.
