The challenge of facing the WNBA’s lone remaining unbeaten team on the road was not too daunting for the Liberty to overcome.
In the first head-to-head meeting since taking three of four from Connecticut in last year’s league semifinals — before losing the title to the Las Vegas Aces — Sabrina Ionescu scored 24 points to lead the Liberty to an 82-75 win Saturday over the previously undefeated Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
With her first of two 3-pointers, Ionescu also became the fastest to 300 made 3s (117 games) in WNBA history.
Jonquel Jones, who won MVP honors as a member of the Sun in 2022, contributed 22 points with eight rebounds and four blocked shots for the Liberty (10-2).
Starting guard Courtney Vandersloot missed her second straight game due to personal reasons, but reigning league MVP Breanna Stewart scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half for the Libs, who have won six straight games.
Ionescu and Stewart also were among the 12 players that reportedly will be named to the U.S. Olympic roster — with Fever rookie Caitlin Clark excluded — that will compete in Paris later this summer.
The Sun (9-1) were looking to become the fourth team in WNBA history — and the first since 2016 — to start a season 10-0.
DeWanna Bonner shot 4-for-14 but led Connecticut with 16 points, and Alyssa Thomas had 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
The Liberty netted the game’s first eight points and led 28-18 through one quarter, with Ionescu drilling two 3-pointers and scoring 10 points.
But the Sun opened the second on a 12-2 spurt to forge a tie, before two free throws by Bonner extended the run and gave the home team its first lead at 32-30.
Jones’ late 3-pointer for eight points in the half helped the Liberty get to intermission in a 39-39 knot.
The Libs trailed by as many as seven in the third and by 60-57 entering the final quarter.
Stewart netted eight points in the third after scoring just two on two field-goal attempts through two quarters.
Jones’ 3-pointer and Ionescu’s floater helped give the Liberty a 66-64 advantage with under six minutes remaining before another Jones trey expanded the cushion to six with 3:23 to go.
Close-range buckets by Bonner and DiJonai Carrington closed the Sun within 74-72 with 1:59 to play.
Tyasha Harris and Jones traded 3-pointers for a 79-75 game into the final minute, before Ionescu cut to the rim to push the lead to six with 43.0 seconds left.