The highly anticipated matchup between the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces lived up to its hype as the Liberty delivered a stunning 99-61 victory on Sunday at the Barclays Center.
The game marked the highest attendance in New York Liberty history, with 11,148 fans filling the stands.
In this clash of the top two teams in the WNBA, the Las Vegas Aces faced a disadvantage without starting forward Candace Parker, who was recovering from foot surgery. Despite the absence of Parker, the number one seeded Aces were still considered the favorite heading into the game.
The Liberty's game plan focused on putting Aces point guard Kelsey Plum on the defensive.
"Knowing I was the bigger guard with Plum guarding me, I knew I had to be aggressive," said Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu. Capitalizing on the mismatch, Ionescu drove aggressively to the basket, shooting 12-for-19 from the field, including 60% (6-10) from deep, seven assists and five rebounds and ultimately scoring a career-high of 31 points.
Forward Breanna Stewart also contributed, with 22 points on 40% (8-20) shooting from the floor.
Additionally, the Aces' defensive prowess was evident when A'ja Wilson made three impressive blocks in the first quarter alone.
Still the two teams played each other close in the first quarter, with the Liberty shooting 40% (8-21) from the field. The Liberty managed a 12-2 run from the 8:27 mark to the 5:40 mark of the opening quarter. Although Las Vegas responded with an 8-0 run from the 4:35 mark to the 3:17 mark of the quarter, New York swiftly countered with an 11-0 run extending from the 0:02 mark of the first to the 7:22 mark of the second quarter.
Liberty Forward Jonquel Jones was charged with a flagrant foul for hitting Aces guard A’ja Wilson in the face with her elbow, with just 53.4 seconds left to play. After review by the officials, this play resulted in free throw shots for Wilson, who then briefly returned to the locker.
In the second quarter, New York went on a 10-0 run that led to an early timeout called by Las Vegas, thanks to Sabrina Ionescu who managed to drill multiple 3-pointers throughout the entire second quarter for a total of 17 points in the second quarter and 23 before the half.
In the third quarter, New York went on an explosive shooting spree, quickly racking up points and displaying remarkable offensive prowess.
Kelsey Plum, who went 4-16 from the field for the Aces, also struggled to find her groove.
At the 8:50 mark of the fourth quarter, Courtney Vandersloot's sixth assist equaled Ticha Penicheiro for the second-most career assists (2,600) in WNBA history.
The Liberty took off on another run ( 8-0) from the 6:10 mark to the 5:22 mark of the final quarter, limiting Las Vegas to just eight points for the entire fourth quarter.
New York finished the game shooting 50% from the field, 100% from the free throw line, while also managing to hit 17 of 38 3s (45%).
“I think it's one of our best defensive games all season long,” said Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello. “I thought we really protected the paint tonight. We did a good job. We had activity, we tracked deflections. I thought we were more disruptive.”
The showdown delivered a statement victory for the Liberty over the number one seed, Las Vegas Aces, as serious contenders in the playoffs.
The New York Liberty will return to play on Friday, Aug. 11, when they host the Chicago Sky, including a memorable half-time performance by MC Lyte in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
To purchase tickets, go here.
