The New York Liberty hope to correct course early in their four-game road trip against a familiar foe, the red-hot Las Vegas Aces, on Tuesday.
The meeting is not only the first between the Aces and Liberty this season, but it’s now a dress rehearsal for the Commissioner’s Cup final as well. The teams will meet June 30 in New York, aiming to add hardware to their respective mantels.
The Aces clinched their spot in the final with their win over the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, and they are now in prime position to add a second Commissioner’s Cup banner next to the 2022 edition that currently hangs in the team’s practice facility. The Liberty will also be in search of their second Commissioner’s Cup title next week after they beat the Aces to claim the cup in 2023. New York went 6-0 in Cup play in the Eastern Conference this year.
The Liberty (11-6) started their West Coast swing on the wrong note on Sunday. The Los Angeles Sparks erased a 17-point deficit and won 98-97 on Nneka Ogwumike’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
The Liberty lost despite a balanced effort that saw six players reach double figures in scoring, led by Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, who tallied 18 points apiece.
“I think some of the game-planning that we had prepared for those moments, we hadn’t really got into until later into the game when they started to (make a run),” Jones said. “I think we have to do a better job of just being a little bit more locked in on the things that we’ve talked about, even if a team isn’t playing that well early on in the game.”
The Aces (12-4) are also coming off a well-balanced performance, as five players reached double figures in their 92-73 romp over the visiting Golden State Valkyries on Sunday.
Jackie Young led the way with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, and she kickstarted a game-changing 24-5 run. A’ja Wilson tallied 19 points and nine rebounds, and Las Vegas got 15 points from Chelsea Gray, 14 from NaLyssa Smith and 14 from Jewell Loyd off the bench.
Gray praised her team’s ball movement.
“It’s really, really helpful,” Gray said. “You’re not playing against a set defense all the time when you’re taking the ball out the net, so really proud on being able to do that. Then, we were making good decisions in the half-court and the ball was popping. Sometimes we were passing up open shots, but it’s the name of the game. I’d rather do that than not pass enough.”
–Field Level Media
