The highly anticipated matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty is set to take place on Thursday, with the Aces looking to avoid a home sweep in the season series. The Liberty have been on a roll, winning their third consecutive game, and their star players, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, are leading the charge.
Stewart, a multiple-time MVP, has been instrumental in the Liberty’s success, leading the team to a 113-109 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. She finished with 29 points, seven assists, four rebounds, four steals, and three blocks, showcasing her impressive all-around skills. This performance marked her seventh time reaching 20 points in the past eight games and her fourth straight game with multiple made 3-pointers, tying her longest streak with New York.
Ionescu, who missed the first month-plus of the season due to injuries, is rounding into form, scoring 25.6 points on 53.6% shooting in the winning streak. She’s set at Over/Under 18.5 points for the upcoming game against the Aces. Despite the Liberty’s impressive performance, they still face a tough challenge against the Aces, who are led by the dominant A’ja Wilson.
A’ja Wilson is having a phenomenal season, leading the league in scoring (26.2 PPG) and blocks (2.0 BPG) while ranking third in rebounding (9.7 PPG). She’s a four-time league MVP who is a -360 favorite to win another and a +370 second favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year for a fourth time. Wilson has now scored in double figures in a league-leading 49 consecutive games and had at least 20 in eight straight, the second-longest active streak in the league.
The Aces were without starting forward NaLyssa Smith due to an illness on Tuesday, but she is expected back for the matchup against the Liberty. Smith averages 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. This marks the third meeting of the season between the franchises, but much like the NBA Cup title game, the Commissioner’s Cup title game does not count toward the regular season. The Liberty beat the Aces in New York for that crown on June 30 by a score of 93-85, but you can all but throw that out because Wilson missed with an ankle injury.
The Liberty set season highs in points, field goals made (41), field-goal percentage (58.6), 3-pointers made (17), and 3-point percentage (53.1) in their win over the Sparks. They’re a league-worst 3-11 ATS away, making their matchup against the Aces even more challenging. The Liberty will need to bring their A-game if they want to take down the dominant Aces and avoid a home sweep in the season series.
The Aces, on the other hand, are looking to bounce back from their loss to the Liberty earlier in the season. They came out of the break with a 98-83 home blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers, with Wilson finishing a game-high 28 points and 14 rebounds and Young tallying 25 points. Wilson’s impressive performance showcased her dominance on the court, and the Aces are looking to ride her momentum to a win against the Liberty.
In the end, the Liberty and Aces will face off in a highly anticipated matchup that promises to be an exciting and closely contested game. Both teams have their strengths and weaknesses, and it will be interesting to see how they match up against each other. Will the Liberty be able to take down the dominant Aces, or will the Aces’ star player, A’ja Wilson, lead them to victory? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain – this matchup is one to watch.
