Sabrina Ionescu scored 23 points, Breanna Stewart scored 18 and Jonquel Jones added a double-double as the New York Liberty earned a 79-67 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday to earn their fourth straight trip to the playoffs.
Ionescu shot 9 of 21 (3 of 10 from 3-point range) and grabbed six rebounds, and New York (23-4) maintained the league’s best record with its second road win over Las Vegas this season. The Liberty posted a 90-82 victory in Las Vegas on June 15. The Aces beat the Liberty in last season’s Finals to win their second straight championship.
Stewart added seven rebounds for New York, which won its sixth straight game. Jones scored 10 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds. Leonie Fiebich added 12 points and seven rebounds.
A’ja Wilson finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead Las Vegas (16-9). Kelsey Plum scored 11 of her 13 points in the first quarter. Chelsea Gray had 13 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Plum made all four of her shots (two of them 3-pointers) to help the Aces take a 28-24 lead after the first quarter. Plum’s three-point play gave Las Vegas an 11-point lead, but Ionescu hit a jumper and a 3-pointer in the final 39 seconds to cap a 7-0 run and bring the Liberty within four. Ionescu scored 12 points in the first 10 minutes.
Kayla Thornton hit a turnaround jumper to start the scoring in the second period and Ionescu followed with a 3-pointer to put the Liberty up 29-28. New York extended its lead to eight on a floater by Ionescu, but Alysha Clark answered with a basket to pull Las Vegas within 42-36 at halftime. The Aces made 6 of 7 3-pointers to start the game and then missed 11 straight before the break. New York held Las Vegas to eight points in the second quarter.
Clark ended Vegas’ 3-point drought (after 12 straight misses) with 3:52 left in the third quarter to pull the Aces within 50-47. Kennedy Burke hit a 3-pointer, Ionescu scored off a rebound and the Liberty held the Aces scoreless for the final 2:04 to build a 59-51 lead after three quarters.
Stewart hit a 3-pointer 41 seconds into the fourth quarter to extend New York’s lead to double digits. Kiah Stokes and Gray hit back-to-back 3-pointers and the Aces pulled within 67-63 with 6:24 to play. Fiebich answered with a 3-pointer, Ionescu made two free throws and Thornton connected from beyond the arc as the Liberty increased their lead to 12 with 4:46 to play and weren’t threatened from there.
It was the Aces’ first game since the league took a month-long break for the Parisians. Olympics.
NEXT
Las Vegas: Aces will host Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.
New York: The Liberty return home to play the Dallas Wings on Tuesday.
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