Before the game, Stewart was named first-team All-WNBA. Ionescu and Jones made the second team, which was brought to Ionescu’s attention after she made the biggest shot of the series.
“That was just a great All-WNBA second-team performance,” she joked.
Said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello: “It’s not about your schemes in these moments. It’s about how hard you want to compete.”
That’s why it would be unwise to suggest the Lynx blew their chance to win title No. 5. Their defense gives them a chance to extend the series, though the health of center Alanna Smith looms large.
Smith was limited to less than 20 minutes in Game 3 because of foul trouble and back problems. The Lynx depend almost entirely on their starters. The drop-off is significant after that.
Fatigue probably contributed to their poor shooting in the fourth quarter, and now they have a quick turnaround for Game 4. The Lynx have surprised everyone all season, though. They are a tough, resilient group. This will be the ultimate test of that.
