Liberty make a resounding statement im crushing Las Vegas Aces

By LORI WALLEN Special to the AmNews

The Liberty stunned those who follow the WNBA with the outcome of this past Sunday’s highly anticipated matchup with the Las Vegas Aces. It wasn’t that they defeated the Aces, the team with the best record in the league. It was that the game was noncompetitive.

The Liberty, now 22–6, annihilated the Aces, which were 24–3 when they faced the Dallas Wings on the road on Tuesday. The 99–61 final was the largest (38 points) loss by the Aces since moving to Las Vegas in 2017. They were previously the San Antonio Stars.

The Liberty took full control of the game by outscoring the Aces 30–9 in the third quarter. Winners of four straight, the Liberty, which holds the second-best record in the league, snapped the Aces’ eight-game winning streak in front of the most fans—11, 418 of them—to attend a home game since the franchise began playing at the Barclays Center in 2021.

Guard Sabrina Ionesuc paced the Liberty with 31 points and forward Breanna Stewart contributed 23 as all five starters reached double figures. The Liberty dominated on the glass, ending with a 48–24 rebounding advantage.

Forward Betnijah Laney led the Liberty with nine rebounds, while the Aces’ three guard lineup of Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young combined for just six. New York also pulled down 11 offensive rebounds that resulted in 20 second-chance points. In an on-court television interview with

ABC, which televised the game nationally, immediately after the game, Stewart said rebounding was a major aspect of their victory.

“We continued to defensive rebound and we knew to pick our chances on the offensive rebounding because Vegas is a good running team, but we wanted to set the tone and send a message.”

Conversely, the Aces noted they have to shore up their presence in the paint. “Rebounding-wise, we gotta be better,” said Gray.

“Guards gotta come in and snatch some of those rebounds.”

The Aces didn’t make any excuses for the drubbing. Star forward A’ja Wilson said the cross-country trek did not affect their performance.

“I’m not going to say that (travel) was the issue,” Wilson contended. “It is what it is. We just have to go back to the drawing board and see what we got going on, but it’s always gonna be Aces vs. Aces to me.”

The 2022 WNBA champion with the Aces, 2022 league Defensive Player of the Year and two-time MVP (2020, 2022) finished the game with just nine points on 2–14 shooting from the floor.

Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello credited her team’s defense as key to the win. “It was one of our best defensive games all season long. We’ve been preaching a way we want to play,” she said. “Everyone was on the same page. Great defensive teams aren’t just one player—sometimes it’s just playing harder.”

Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot’s six assists moved her into second place all-time on theWNBA’s career list, passing Ticha Penicheiro’s mark of 2,599.

The Liberty tied the season series with the Aces at 1–1. They will host the Chicago Sky tomorrow in Brooklyn, meet the Indiana Fever on the road on Sunday, and have a rematch with the Aces in Las Vegas next Thursday.