ATLANTA — Sabrina Ionescu felt the weight of the Liberty’s bewildering overtime loss Wednesday night.
asserted
Ionescu → feel → loss
Afterward, she owned up to her personal shortcomings, telling the team, “It was my fault.”
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tRY IT NOW“This loss is on me,” Ionescu said.
asserted
Ionescu → own → me
“I got to take it on the chin and I got to be better.”
asserted
I → got → chin
She’ll have a chance to do just that when the Liberty return home Friday for Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Atlanta Dream with their season on the brink.
asserted
season → have → brink
The Dream won the first two games, including Wednesday’s 101-98 overtime thriller that left New York one loss away from elimination.
asserted
that → win → elimination
No WNBA team has ever come back from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series.
asserted
team → come → series
The Liberty would like to think they could be the first and vowed to chip away at the mountain one game at a time.
“The mentality is just that it’s not over,” Ionescu said.
uncertain
Ionescu → like → time
While there’s plenty of blame to go around for the Liberty’s loss — including the coaching staff’s rookie mistake and the team’s defensive lapses, among others — this is a defining moment for Ionescu, who’s weathered one of her most tumultuous seasons yet.
asserted
who → ’ → seasons
Ionescu missed the start of the season because of an injured left foot and has been dealing with a nagging back issue.
asserted
Ionescu → miss → issue
She’s experienced moments of brilliance as well as stretches when her shot hasn’t been there and possessions she would like back all while carrying the weight of expectations heavier than rain-soaked Timberlands.
asserted
she → experience → Timberlands
While teammates delivered big shots when the Liberty needed them most, Ionescu, who had 27 points on 50 percent shooting in Game 1, struggled to find the same rhythm.
asserted
who → deliver → rhythm
Her confidence took a hit.
asserted
confidence → take → hit
And when the game slipped away in overtime, she was left to reckon with the moments she wished she could have back.
uncertain
she → slip → moments
One mistake stands out like a coffee stain on a white T-shirt.
asserted
mistake → stand → shirt
Ionescu had the ball in her hands with the Dream up by one and 10 seconds left in overtime.
asserted
Dream → have → overtime
She started to drive when she saw multiple Atlanta defenders closing in.
asserted
defenders → start → ?
Instead of putting up a shot, Ionescu flung the ball across the court and into the stands.
asserted
Ionescu → put → stands
“It was a bad pass, that’s on me,” Ionescu said.
asserted
Ionescu → ’ → me
“That’s one that I need to be able to make a better pass or finish …
asserted
I → ’ → pass
I didn’t get a lot of shots up to be able to feel confident taking it and I’m gonna beat myself up for it, for sure.
asserted
I → get → it
That’s a shot I should take and at least just put it up on the rim but it is what it is and gotta go back home and try and turn it around.”
asserted
it → ’ → it
Ionescu finished with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting with four rebounds, seven assists and two turnovers.
asserted
Ionescu → finish → rebounds
The Liberty have no margin for error.
asserted
Liberty → have → error
If they lose Friday, their season ends and they’ll enter yet another offseason of uncertainty earlier than they would’ve hoped.
asserted
they → lose → uncertainty
There’s no opportunity to correct a bad performance if things go awry in Game 3.
asserted
things → ’ → Game
Atlanta’s pressure and physicality disrupted the Liberty’s offense in the first two games.
asserted
pressure → disrupt → games
The Liberty need everyone to step up to keep their season alive.
asserted
everyone → need → season
For Ionescu, that means being more decisive about when to facilitate and attack.
asserted
that → mean → Ionescu
Friday is an opportunity for Ionescu to seize control with the team’s season hanging in the balance.
asserted
season → seize → balance
“[Bouncing back is] what I’ve done my whole career,” Ionescu said.
asserted
Ionescu → bounce → what
“You’re gonna win, you’re gonna lose, you’re gonna hit a game-winner, you’re gonna turn it over.
asserted
you → go → it
It’s just part of sports.
asserted
It → ’ → sports
And if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
asserted
everyone → do → it
So I think for me, it’s just having kind of the mentality of knowing in these moments they’re gonna prepare me for what’s to come.”
asserted
what → think → me
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