Sabrina Ionescu overwhelms Lynx with late three-pointer in 80-77 Game 3 win

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Lynx lost to the New York Liberty 80-77 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night at Target Center.

Cheryl Reeve may have been a little upset after Sabrina Ionescu hit the Lynx with a game-winning 3-pointer, but she wanted to make sure the media got Napheesa Collier's name right. In the final question of the postgame press conference, a reporter called her “Napheesha” and asked about her WNBA playoff record of 247 points.

She answered professionally, then Reeve chimed in before they left the podium.

“It’s Napheesa, not Napheesha. Napheesa. If you didn't say it, I'll say it. “Daddy didn’t name you Napheesha,” Reeve said.

The key piece

In front of more than 19,000 fans, the largest crowd in franchise history, Ionescu knocked back a 3-pointer from about 35 feet away with one second left in the game. The New York Liberty take a 2-1 lead in the series and the Lynx need a win on Friday night to extend the series.

There were two crucial plays in the fourth quarter, and Ionescu had both. After Collier missed a shot in the lane, Ionescu hit a long three-pointer to give the Liberty a 77-73 lead with 55 seconds left. Collier tied the game with two three-pointers, setting up Ionescu's heroics with one second left.

“Ionescu’s shot at the end, that’s what it’s all about. We talked about players making plays and unfortunately we didn’t make enough of them to put the ball in the hole,” Reeve said.

“A great player made a good shot. I guarded her for 40 minutes,” said Kayla McBride, who had 19 points, shot 5 of 9 from beyond the arc and spent the night guarding Ionescu.

“That was just a great All-WNBA Second Team performance,” Ionescue joked. The WNBA presented its season awards earlier in the day.

Story for Collier

Collier finished the game with 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists and five steals. She set a WNBA postseason record with 247 points in the playoffs. Earlier Wednesday, she was named First Team All-WNBA.

Lynx loses the lead early

The Lynx made it a point to strike first in Game 3. They did just that with a 21-7 start and a 28-18 lead after the first quarter. The Liberty fought back and eventually took the lead and the game in the fourth quarter.

What's next?

Game 4 takes place Friday night at Target Center. If the Lynx win, the series returns to Brooklyn for Game 5 on Sunday. If the Liberty win, they are the WNBA champions.