Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty took a 2-1 lead over the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals after an 80-77 win at Target Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.
Ionescu took social media by storm for her viral step-back three-pointer from 28 feet out with two seconds remaining to give the Liberty a three-point lead. The game-winner has already received millions of views from multiple posts on X.
The 2020 No. 1 pick out of Oregon finished Game 3 with just 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting, five rebounds and six assists. But her last-second shot will go down as one of the best in league history. Breanna Stewart added 30 points on 9-of-20 shooting and 11 rebounds.
New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Following the game, many WNBA fans dug up a message that was sent to Ionescu back in 2020 from the late great Kobe Bryant, who spent his entire legendary career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kobe used the goat emoji in his message on X while tagging Ionescu on Jan. 16, 2020. The post from Bryant came following a college basketball game between Oregon and the Stanford Cardinal, where Ionescu recorded a previous career-high of 37 points while adding 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Kobe’s message to Ionescu is very fitting, given the recent events that occurred, and fans took to social media to leave their thoughts on it.
“Bean knew from 4 years ago. We’re just catching up,” one fan said.
“Kobe was ahead of the curve when it came to the support of women’s basketball”
“You know you are the REAL DEAL when Kobe acknowledges you”
“Omg this gave me chills. The Kobe of the WNBA”
“Kobe knew”
“Kobe said it”
Bryant was selected with the No. 13 pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to Los Angeles. In his 21-year career, Bryant won five NBA titles, an MVP award and made 18 All-Star appearances. The former Lower Merion star also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA.
Meanwhile, Ionescu and the Liberty will look to secure the championship in Game 4 on Friday, Oct. 18, at 8:00 p.m. ET.
