INDIANAPOLIS – Boos and cheers rained down on Sabrina Ionescu as she stepped as much as the free-throw line.
Ionescu, a profession 90.7 % free-throw shooter, drained each photographs to provide the Liberty a two-point lead with 2.9 seconds left.
Everybody knew what the Fever have been going to do.
This was going to be Caitlin Clark’s shot.
However Natasha Cloud wasn’t even going to let her have the prospect to get a shot off.
Cloud swatted the ball from Clark as time expired, securing the Liberty’s 90-88 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.
After back-to-back dominant wins to open the season, the Liberty received their first main stress check.
Jonquel Jones had 26 factors and 12 rebounds.
Ionescu added 23 factors.
Breanna Stewart and Cloud scored 16 factors every.
The Liberty squandered a 15-point lead and located themselves in a 12-point gap early within the fourth.
New York then buckled down and clawed its means again into the sport for its third straight win.
Possibly Saturday was precisely what the Liberty wanted.
As much as that time, every thing had appeared to be too simple for New York.
There have been some areas of concern that coach Sandy Brondello had with the workforce.
And the way mad can a coach be when the workforce is profitable?
However the Fever put a highlight on among the Liberty’s points, resembling rebounding, complacency and inside protection.
Aliyah Boston within the pick-and-roll with Clark was an issue all day for New York.
Boston completed with 27 factors and 13 rebounds. The Fever outscored the Liberty within the paint 52-42.
The Liberty’s largest points got here within the third quarter.
They received too comfy and lackadaisical.
Indiana erased a nine-point halftime deficit and outscored the Liberty 30-13 within the third quarter.
Clark could have had a rocky begin, however she rediscovered her capturing stroke within the second half.
After not making a 3 in her final sport and lacking her first seven makes an attempt from deep, Clark drained her first 3 of the day late within the third.
Her four-point play gave the Fever a 73-68 lead with a couple of minute left within the quarter.
Then, Clark punctuated the Fever’s dominant quarter with one in all her signature step-back 3 on the buzzer. She celebrated the basket and her workforce’s 76-68 lead with an emphatic fist pump.
Clark completed with 18 factors and 10 assists.
The Liberty return to motion Tuesday to host the Valkyries.
