Ionescu Powers Liberty

Ionescu Leads Liberty Through Late Phoenix Pressure

Ionescu was the engine for New York all night. She scored 27 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. She also added 10 assists, per The Facts. That made it a near triple-double performance. The Liberty held an eight-point lead at one point but had to fight to keep it.

Han Xu was a key factor off the bench. The center chipped in 17 points to give New York a reliable second scorer. Her play helped cushion the Liberty when Phoenix started to climb back into the game late, Erie News Now reported.

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Copper and Bonner Combine for 50 Points in Loss

Phoenix made the Liberty earn every point. Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner each scored 25 points for the Mercury, according to Yahoo Sports. Together they combined for 50 of Phoenix's 92 points. Alyssa Thomas added 17 more points to keep the Mercury in the game until the final buzzer.

Despite the strong offensive output, Phoenix could not get over the hump. The Mercury fell two points short, unable to overcome New York's perfect free-throw shooting down the stretch.

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Bonner Ties Taurasi for Second on All-Time Games List

Thursday's game had a historic moment for Bonner. She played in her 565th career WNBA game, tying Diana Taurasi for second place on the all-time list, according to WWLTV. Taurasi is one of the greatest players in league history, making the milestone a significant achievement for Bonner.

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Liberty's Perfect Foul Shooting Proves Decisive

Going 19 of 19 from the foul line is extremely rare at any level of basketball. For the Liberty, it was the difference between a win and a loss, Erie News Now noted. Even one missed free throw could have changed the outcome of the game.

New York's ability to convert under pressure showed mental toughness. The Liberty had to hold on as Phoenix chipped away at their lead. In the end, the perfect free-throw shooting gave them just enough cushion to escape with the two-point victory.

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