Jones scores 26, Ionescu sinks winning free throws as Liberty beat Fever 90-88

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jonquel Jones had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Sabrina Ionescu added 23 points, including the winning free throws with 2.9 seconds left, to lead the New York Liberty over the Indiana Fever 90-88 on Saturday.

Caitlin Clark, who ended a stretch of 12 missed 3-pointers with a four-point play followed by a 33-foot buzzer-beater to end the third quarter, had the ball stripped away by Natasha Cloud on the final play of the game. She finished with 18 points, 10 assists and 10 turnovers, shooting 2 for 11 from 3.

Breanna Stewart and Cloud had 16 points each for the Liberty (3-0).

Aliyah Boston led Indiana (2-2) with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Lexie Hull, starting in place of DeWanna Bonner, and Kelsey Mitchell added 15 points each.

Clark’s turnovers were scattered between precise feeds to the rim to her teammates, including Boston, who bounced back from a four-point performance in a win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday.

The Fever had an 80-68 lead with less than nine minutes remaining in the game. It was an impressive midgame run for the newly formed Fever against the reigning WNBA champs, having stormed back from down 14 early in the second quarter.

But the Liberty's experience showed up when it mattered. Jones, Stewart and Ionescu brought them quickly back into the game. They went on a 14-2 run for an 84-82 lead after Jones drained consecutive 3-pointers.

Clark said after the game she'd have to look at the tape to tell whether she was fouled on the final play. Coach Stephanie White, however, wasn't as neutral.

“I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us the last four games, you know, a minus-31 free throw discrepancy," White said. “And I might be able to understand it if we were just chucking 3s. But we’re not. We’re attacking the rim and the disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable.”

The Liberty head home to play a pair of games against expansion Golden State on Tuesday and Thursday. Indiana is at Washington on Wednesday.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) celebrates after a three-point basket against the New York Liberty in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives on New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, top, checks on Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) after contract on a shot in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) is fouled by Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston (7) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones (35) and Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) go for a loose ball in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)