Ionescu and Laney help Liberty beat Sun 84-77 to even semifinals series at 1-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu scored 21 points and Betnijah Laney added 20 to help the New York Liberty beat the Connecticut Sun 84-77, evening the best-of-five series at 1-1. Game 3 is Friday night in Connecticut. New York led 59-57 to start the fourth quarter before the team went on a 13-5 run to start the period. Breanna Stewart, who was having a rough offensive night hours after she was honored as the WNBA’s MVP, hit a 3-pointer to cap the spurt and give the Liberty a 72-62 advantage. Connecticut got within striking distance a few times after that, but Laney answered with key 3-pointers. Tiffany Hayes scored 30 points to lead the Sun.