Sabrina Ionescu set multiple WNBA records in 30-point performance vs. Aces
Sabrina Ionescu couldn't be stopped Wednesday night.
She exploded for 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the New York Liberty's 116-107 win over the Las Vegas Aces.
Ionescu's triple-double is incredible on its own, but it's even more impressive when put into historical context.
That performance marked Ionescu's third triple-double of her career, which ties her with Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker for the most in a WNBA career. That re-broke the WNBA record for most in one season – five. No other WNBA season had more than one triple-double prior to 2022.
Ionescu also tied Parker for first WNBA player with multiple triple-doubles in one season. The difference between Ionescu and Parker, though, is Ionescu reached her third triple-double in just her 54th WNBA game, while Parker hit that mark in her 375th.
That's not even the coolest part of her performance. Ionescu also became the first WNBA player to score at least 30 points for a triple-double and the first WNBA player to do it without a turnover. The next closest was Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie, who scored 29 for her triple-double in 2004. Ionescu made 10-of-13 shots, including 7-of-8 from behind the arc.
"I was just really trying to take care of the ball, I thought that was really important," Ionescu said, according to ESPN. "As a point guard and the primary ball-handler, just wanting to continue to work on that part of the game. I'm just trying to be the best that I can every time I step out on the floor. It's me versus me. I'm trying to get better and continue to learn from all the situations that I've been put in."
Ionescu's overall feat is also very uncommon in the NBA. Only one other player in an American professional basketball league recorded a triple-double with at least 30 points and no turnovers with a 75 percent shooting percentage, according to ESPN Stats & Information: two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Liberty's win over the Aces also set a few WNBA firsts on its own. The 31 combined 3-pointers were the most in a WNBA game and the 223 combined points were the most in regulation in a game.
