MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Lynx lost to the New York Liberty 80-77 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Target Center on Wednesday night.

Cheryl Reeve may have been a little salty after Sabrina Ionescu blasted the Lynx with a game-winning 3-pointer, but she would make sure the media got Napheesa Collier’s name right. In the final question of the post-game press conference, a reporter called her “Napheesha” and asked about her WNBA playoff record with 247 points.

She responded professionally, and Reeve intervened before they left the stage.

“It’s Napheesa, not Napheesha. Napheesa. If you didn’t say it, I’ll say it. Daddy didn’t name you Napheesha,” Reeve said.

The key game

In front of more than 19,000 fans, the largest crowd in franchise history, Ionescu hit a step-back 3-pointer from about 30 feet out with one second to play. The New York Liberty take a 2-1 lead in the series, and the Lynx need a win Friday night to extend the series.

There were two key plays in the fourth quarter, and Ionescu had them both. After Collier missed a shot in the lane, Ionescu hit a long three-pointer to give the Liberty a 77-73 lead with 55 seconds left. Collier tied the game with a pair of three throws, setting up Ionescu’s heroics with one second left.

“Ionescu’s shot at the end, that’s what it’s all about. That’s what we talked about, players making plays and unfortunately we didn’t make enough of them to put the ball in the hole,” Reeve said.

“A great player made a good shot. I guarded her for 40 minutes,” said Kayla McBride, who had 19 points, shot 5-of-9 from the perimeter and spent the night guarding Ionescu.

“That was just a great All-WNBA Second Team performance,” Ionescue joked. The WNBA presented the season awards earlier in the day.

History for Collier

Collier finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists and five steals. She set a WNBA postseason record with 247 points in the playoffs. Earlier Wednesday, she was named First Team All-WNBA.

Lynx loses early lead

The Lynx emphasized delivering the first punch in Game 3. They did just that, getting off to a 21-7 start and leading 28-18 after the first quarter. The Liberty broke away and eventually took the lead and the game in the fourth quarter.

What’s next

Game 4 is Friday night at Target Center. If the Lynx win, the series returns to Brooklyn on Sunday for a winner-take-all Game 5. If the Liberty win, they are the WNBA champions.