Ionescu wasn’t alone in delighting the crowd at Barclays Center throughout New York’s 87-77 victory. In addition to Ionescu’s 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart finished with a team-high 34 points, five rebounds and four assists. Stewart’s frontcourt partner Jonquel Jones added 13 points and 12 boards.

The newfound versatility of Sabrina Ionescu will be crucial to the early semifinal meeting with the Aces starting on Sunday in the best-of-five series.

The WNBA semifinals are here, and things got started with a bang: a blockbuster matchup between the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. Despite a number of turnovers, the Liberty held strong to take an 87-77 Game 1 win.