The WNBA's top two teams faced off Tuesday night for their final games before the Olympic break.
The Connecticut Sun visited the New York Liberty with hopes of heading into the break just a half-game back in the Eastern Conference standings. Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu had other plans.
Ionescu dropped a game-high 30 points on 7-of-14 shooting (6-of-11 from 3-point range) to lead New York to an 82-74 victory. She added six rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
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The game was tied heading into the fourth quarter, but Ionescu's 3-pointer to begin the frame sparked a 10-3 Liberty run that proved too much for the Sun to overcome.
Connecticut was led by Brionna Jones (17 points) and Alyssa Thomas (16 points) in the losing effort. Thomas did not play in the fourth quarter for an unknown reason.
Former Sun star Jonquel Jones had eight points and seven boards for New York. She played a key role in the final frame with clutch buckets to spoil Connecticut's comeback bids.
The Sun enter the break with an 18-6 record that puts them 2.5 games behind the league-leading Liberty (21-4). They will return to action on Aug. 16 vs. the Dallas Wings.
Brionna Jones, Alyssa Thomas, and DeWanna Bonner will represent the Sun in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, which tips off on Saturday.
You can watch highlights from Tuesday's Sun-Liberty matchup below: