Ionescu scores 29 points, 9 in the last minute, to rally the Liberty to a 95-94 win over the Sky

[July 23, 2026]  NEW YORK (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu scored nine of her 29 points in the final minute, Jonquel Jones made the tiebreaking free throw with 3.4 seconds left and the New York Liberty rallied to beat the Chicago Sky 95-94 on Wednesday night.
 
The Liberty erased a 12-point deficit in the final five minutes. They trailed 91-85 with less than a minute to play, before Ionescu hit a contested 3-pointer from the corner falling out of bounds, made another 3-pointer and then converted a three-point play with 15.1 seconds left to tie the game at 94.

New York Liberty's Pauline Astier (18) fights for control of the ball with Chicago Sky's Kamilla Cardoso (10) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Courtney Vandersloot fed Kamilla Cardoso on a pick-and-roll but Cardoso missed the layup and fouled Jones, who made one of the free throws.

Breanna Stewart had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Liberty (15-12). Jones added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Rebecca Allen scored 12 points. Ionescu was 8 of 11 from the field with five 3-pointers and 8 of 8 from the foul line.

Sydney Taylor had a career-high 31 points for the Sky (9-18). Vandersloot had 14 points and Cardoso scored 10.

Gabriela Jaquez and Taylor hit 3s to start a run that saw the Sky boost a one-point lead entering the fourth quarter to an 84-72 advantage when Taylor drilled another 3 with 5 1/2 minutes to play.

The Liberty bounced back with Stewart's basket and 3s from Jones and Ionescu, which she turned into a four-point play. When Stewart blocked Vandersloot's layup and made a layup at the other end, New York was back with 86-85 with 2:35 to play.

Up next
Sky: Home against Connecticut on July 30.

Liberty: At Los Angeles on Tuesday.

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