MINNEAPOLIS — After shootaround Wednesday morning, Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu went back to the spot where she made the biggest shot of her career.

Ionescu found it on the court and then looked at the basket, which stood 28 feet from where she was.

“I was just so far,” she told The Post. “I don’t know why I shot that far.”

That shot — the game-winner that Ionescu drilled to claim Game 3 of the 2024 WNBA Finals in Minnesota — goes down as one of the greatest baskets in Liberty history.

It’s perhaps second to only Teresa Weatherspoon’s 50-foot Hail Mary heave at the buzzer that saved New York from a sweep in the 1999 WNBA Finals.

With 11 seconds left and the tie knotted at 77-77, coach Sandy Brondello called a timeout to make sure everyone was on the same page.

Ionescu would have the ball in her hands and was trusted to make reads off the defense for the final shot.

Sabrina Ionescu, who scored 31 points, looks to make a move during the Liberty’s 100-93 loss to the Lynx on July 30, 2025. Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

After a Lynx foul, Ionescu got the ball with nine seconds left and dribbled to the middle of the court. Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart made some off-ball movements that created some chaos for the Lynx defense.

Ionescu crossed over from right to left and then did the slightest hesitation with the ball to freeze her defender before stepping back and firing off the dagger.

“It was an epic shot and a shot that we’ve seen Sabrina do, but not in a game,” Brondello said before the Liberty’s 100-93 loss to the Lynx in which Ionescu scored 31 points. “It wasn’t executed perfectly, but the idea was to get a high [isolation] with Sabrina. It was such a grind all season long. We’re trying to keep as many people out of it as we could and just rely on her individual brilliance and she made a shot that we’ll never forget.”

Ionescu said it was a shot she’s practiced for a long time, which is why she was so confident to take it.

“I practiced [and] drilled it again all offseason, make sure I can shoot it, and feel good about it consistently in those situations,” she said. “It’s not the first time I made a shot like that so just kind of knowing, it’s part of my practice and preparation.”

Jonquel Jones said she has the worst memory of anyone on the Liberty. But she recalled the thoughts that were racing through her mind as the ball tickled to twine.

“I just remember just being like, ‘Oh my gosh. She actually did that,’” Jones said. “And then, I started thinking about, like, ‘Damn. She got some big balls on her to take that type of shot … in that type of game … Oh my gosh, we’re one step closer [to winning a title] and off such an amazing shot.’”

Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) celebrates her team’s win after Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Lynx at Target Center. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

It was hard in the immediate aftermath of that game to understand the gravity of the shot that put the Liberty up 2-1 in the best-of-five series.

Even Ionescu didn’t fully comprehend at that time “how important that shot was.”

But that shot may have saved the series for the Liberty.

“When you look back on it, without that play, they may not be champions,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “It was that big.”

Wednesday was the Liberty’s first trip back to Target Center since Game 3 and 4 of the Finals, and Ionescu allowed herself a brief moment to relish in that memory.

“You get all of those feelings and emotions back when you step back into a building like this,” she said. “But it’s also kind of like, turning the page and knowing what you did last year isn’t good enough this year.”

Sabrina Ionescu drives on Alana Smith during the Liberty’s loss to the Lynx. Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

As her teammates started to head their separate areas after taking turns throwing half-court heaves, Ionescu returned to the scene of the crime and replicated her most iconic shot to finish off her morning shootaround.

“Reenacting it was fun,” Ionescu said.

It took two or three tries before she drilled it, though she noted that she was a little cold and not in game mode.

“I’ve watched it so many times,” she said. “But yeah, on to the next one.”

This grueling stretch of the Liberty’s season, where the team is playing six games in 10 days, caught up to Natasha Cloud.

Cloud started to fall ill before the Liberty’s game against the Wings Monday.

She felt worse Tuesday as she dealt with cold sweats, fever, chills and head congestion.

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Cloud was downgraded to questionable Wednesday morning. She stayed in bed instead of going to shootaround, but Cloud knew she was going to play regardless of how she felt.

“It was never not an option for me to play today, especially with this game and being down numbers,” said Cloud, who had 12 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes. “This was a good reset day for us. I know we didn’t come out with a W in the win column, but behind the scenes, down three starters, without Emma, I’ll take losing by eight to a team that I feel like gave their everything tonight.”

With the Liberty-Lynx game airing on ESPN, dozens of fans held up “Pay the Players” signs to show their solidarity with the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association as negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement continue.

“[The fans] want us to be compensated for it and us as players, we’re gonna continue to fight to get our fair share of the pie,” Isabelle Harrison said. “And that’s a conversation that lasts even after All-Star [weekend].”