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Liberty vs. Aces score, takeaways: New York closes gap in race for No. 1 seed in WNBA playoffs – CBS Sports
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Another matchup between the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces, another uncompetitive contest. While a meaningless late surge from the Aces prevented this from being the fifth of five games between the super teams to be decided by double digits, the Liberty controlled nearly the entire affair en route to a 94-85 win.
With the victory, the Liberty extended their winning streak to four games and kept their hopes of catching the Aces for the No. 1 overall seed alive. They still have work to do on that front, but they cut the deficit to 1.5 games and evened the season series between the clubs.
Sabrina Ionescu took over the game late in the first quarter to get the Liberty the lead for good, and led the way in the scoring department with 25 points. She also added two rebounds and two assists, which weren’t noteworthy for this game, but helped her become the first player in WNBA history to record 600 rebounds and 600 assists in their first four seasons. Elsewhere, the Liberty got a strong all around effort from Breanna Stewart, who didn’t shoot the ball well but still finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
It’s all about the fundamentals 👏
Despite the slow start, @breannastewart got into a rhythm and delivered a BIG TIME game for the @nyliberty 💪
B. Stewart ➡ 20 PTS, 12 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK#MoreThanGame pic.twitter.com/qfrjK9KtGj
Jackie Young led the Aces in scoring with 24 points, while reigning MVP A’ja Wilson went for 23 points and eight rebounds. Those two were the only Aces players who found their range; they combined for 47 points on 19-of-31 shooting, while the rest of the team scored 38 points on 12-of-38 from the field.
Here are some key takeaways from the game:
If the Liberty wanted any hope of chasing down the Aces for the No. 1 seed, they simply had to win this game, and they did. With it, they pulled to within 1.5 games of the Aces and evened the season series between the clubs at 2-2. That means the tie will have to be broken by better record against +.500 teams at the end of the season.
The Aces are currently 16-3, while the Liberty are 11-5, but those numbers are subject to change depending on not only the results for these two teams the rest of the way, but how other clubs finish the season. There are more than a few clubs hovering right around the .500 mark as we head into the final two weeks. For example, the Aces’ recent defeat to the Mystics (16-18) is currently not counted towards that stat, but if the Mystics close the season strong, that could change.
In the first two meetings between these teams this month, A’ja Wilson really struggled to deal with the Liberty’s length and athleticism in the paint, especially when they threw mulitple defenders her way. With Candace Parker sidelined, it was even easier for the Liberty to double Wilson near the basket.
It was noticeable that head coach Becky Hammon changed her approach on Monday. Instead of getting Wilson the ball on the block, where she’s at her best and does most of her work, but is also more susceptible to help defense, they kept feeding her the ball on the perimeter or in the pick-and-roll. While that may not be Wilson’s preferred mode of attack, she’s more than capable of playing off the bounce and making mid-range jumpers, and doesn’t have to worry about operating in a crowd.
Here’s a look at the breakdown from the first half, which is when Wilson did most of her work.
Post: Four touches
Perimeter/Roller: 13 touches
It didn’t end up mattering in this game because no one else besides Jackie Young could make a shot and the Aces’ defense was ineffective, but it’s something to file away for when these teams meet in the Finals (assuming that happens).
Johannes didn’t change the game on Monday like she did in the Commissioner’s Cup championship when she came off the bench to pour in 17 points, but it was another solid performance from the Frenchwoman. She finished with eight points and four rebounds on 3-of-3 from the field, and once again showed the difference between the two teams’ reserve units.
More importantly, she had another stunning moment when she crossed over Sydney Colson and hit a ridiculous 3-pointer. Few players are as exciting as Johannes.
Taken in totality, this season has been an incredible display by the Aces and Liberty, who, as expected, have clearly established themselves as the best teams in the league. That only makes it more disappointing that we didn’t get a memorable regular season contest along the way.
If it wasn’t for a last-second 3-pointer by Sydney Colson on Monday, all five meetings between the clubs would have been decided by double digits. While that factoid was spoiled, Colson’s shot didn’t erase the fact that none of these showdowns were all that interesting. Here’s a look at the final margins of victory:
Given some of the flare-ups on the court on Monday, this does seem to be turning into a real rivalry. Let’s hope that translates into competitive games in the Finals.
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