Liberty show champs what it takes

Hold off Las Vegas at sold-out Barclays Center

September 10, 2024 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Reigning MVP Breanna Stewart and the Liberty dribbled past two-time defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Sunday in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

Share this:

The Liberty hadn’t hosted back-to-back WNBA champion Las Vegas at Downtown’s Barclays Center since Game 4 of last year’s Finals, when the Aces ended New York’s dream of winning its first-ever title.

Reigning league Most Valuable Player Breanna Stewart and her teammates made sure to get a measure of revenge Sunday before a sellout crowd of 15,393 on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.

Stewart had 21 points and 11 rebounds and fellow All-Star Sabrina Ionescu finished with a fourth-quarter flourish as the Liberty held off the dynastic Aces, 74-71, to complete a three-game season-series sweep of the team that broke Brooklyn’s heart here last October.

After going 8-of-14 from the floor, burying 5-of-7 free throws, blocking a shot and picking up a pair of steals, Stewart displayed relief more than joy following New York’s third consecutive win.

Especially after the Liberty (29-6) squandered a 20-point lead and needed Ionescu to make a series of big shots down the stretch to finish 3-0 vs. Vegas this season.

“Obviously we’re happy that we’re going away with the win. But we were up 20 at one point. … We’ll watch film,” Stewart lamented.

“We’ll figure out what we need to be better, but making sure that everything on the court has a purpose.”

The Aces (22-13), who were without last year’s Finals MVP A’ja Wilson due to an ankle injury, forged a 68-68 tie on Kelsey Plum’s 26-footer with 2:36 to play.

Ionescu responded with a 13-foot pull-up, and answered Sydney Colson’s subsequent 3-pointer with another short jumper, erasing Vegas’ only lead since the first quarter and giving New York a 72-71 edge with 43 ticks remaining.

“We just stay composed,” Ionescu told the Associated Press. “We took great shots when we needed to, get the ball in the right people’s hands. Fought for every ball and got stops when we needed to. Obviously it wasn’t a pretty win, but you got to be able to win ugly.”

All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu goes up for two of her 14 points during Sunday’s win over the Aces at Barclays Center. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

All-Star power forward Jonquel Jones settled matters with a pair of free throws, finishing with 15 points, eight boards and four assists, including the 500th of her career.

Ionescu had seven of her 14 points over the final 10 minutes, grabbed four rebounds and handed out four assists for the Liberty, who got outscored 20-11 in the fourth quarter, mostly by the Aces’ reserves.

“Our bench coming in, the ball moved and good things happened,” Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. “They got stops, gave us a chance to crawl back in there, stick our nose in where they didn’t think it was going to be today.”

Stewart, who suffered through a brutal 3-of-17 shooting effort in the Liberty’s season-ending 70-68 defeat to the Aces at Barclays on Oct. 18, knew the importance of her teammates surviving Vegas’ late run.

“Sometimes it seemed like we were just like out there floating, and this is the defending champs,” Stewart noted.

“You know, of course they’re going to come out no matter who’s on the court, whether A’ja’s playing or not. They’re fighting to win.”

So are the Liberty, who maintained a three-game lead over Minnesota (26-9) in the hunt for the top overall seed in the upcoming playoffs with five games to play.

“It isn’t the playoffs yet,” said Jones.

“We have the opportunity to go out there and get better and refocus in games like this you can learn a lot from. And like I said before, we’re in the position where we can really fix some things.”

Liberty coach Sandy Brondello was just happy the game didn’t escape her “Superteam”, especially against the Aces, who are trying to put together the league’s first three-peat since Houston won the first four WNBA titles from 1997-2000.

“Experience. Been there, done that,” Brondello responded when asked how her team fended off the late push. “This team, we’ve been through so much adversity. And we didn’t want to let this one slip.”

Brondello’s squad will shoot for its 30th win of the year Tuesday night in Dallas, where it will play a two-game series against the Wings (9-26).

Dallas has lost four in a row and is perilously close to postseason elimination following Sunday’s 92-77 defeat at Chicago.

Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points and former Liberty forward Natasha Howard added 17 for Dallas, which dropped back-to-back games at Barclays from Aug. 20-22.

Stewart had 19 points in the finale of that set, helping New York beat the Wings for the third straight meeting dating to a 98-88 setback to Dallas in Brooklyn on July 19, 2023.

Tip-off at College Park Center is at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Starting forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is questionable for Tuesday night’s game at Dallas with a knee issure that cost her six weeks earlier this year. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

GIVE ME LIBERTY: Recently returned from surgery on her right knee, Liberty starting forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was removed from Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter after accidentally banging the joint against Jones. “I mean, obviously, to see anyone go down like that, there’s concern,” said Stewart. As of Monday night, Laney-Hamilton was listed as questionable for Tuesday’s series opener with Dallas. The former All-Star missed six weeks, including the Olympic break, while recovering from the injury. She had nine points, six rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes Sunday. … Dallas will host New York again on Thursday night before the Liberty return Downtown to host second-place Minnesota Sunday afternoon.