LAS VEGAS — As the clock ticked down at Mandalay Bay, a wave of Aces fans began their exit with 4:37 remaining in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night.
The scoreboard showed the Liberty leading by 16 points, giving the match an air of inevitability.
In a last-ditch effort, the Aces managed to narrow the lead to eight with just 2:30 left on the clock.
At this critical juncture, spectators couldn’t help but wonder if the Liberty were on the brink of another damaging collapse.
However, the team held their ground this time around, avoiding any such downfall.
Sabrina Ionescu drained a 3 to give the Liberty a double-digit lead. Then Breanna Stewart sank a shot from deep on the team’s next possession.
In the final 30 seconds, Jonquel Jones drilled a 3 for good measure.
The Liberty pulled off the 87-76 win against the defending champions.
Coach Chris DeMarco might be new to the WNBA this year. But he didn’t need to be briefed on how important Tuesday’s matchup against the Aces was to his players.
“I understand the rivalry here,” DeMarco said before the game. “I understand how much it matters to this organization, these players and the familiarity from that. I think it’s a good test early and we have a full roster now and we’re excited.”
It might be June, and the WNBA season is still two weeks away from reaching the halfway point, but this game between two rivals mattered for all parties involved.
“Of course, it’s what everybody wants to see, everybody’s been waiting for,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “I mean, you gotta have your head in the sand if you think otherwise.”
The Liberty and Aces — routinely two of the league’s best teams in recent years — have squared off on some of the biggest stages.
The Liberty beat the Aces to win the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup championship before losing to Las Vegas in the WNBA Finals months later.
In 2024, the Liberty ended the Aces’ season, beating Becky Hammon’s team in the Semifinals en route to winning New York’s first championship.