New York forward Breanna Steward (30) goes in for a layup against Las Vegas Aces forward Kierstan Bell (1) and guard Jackie Young (right) the first half at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Tue Jun 23, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Rich Perez
This was not the offense we are used to seeing from the Las Vegas Aces. They got beaten pretty badly at the hands of the rival New York Liberty losing 87-75. The Liberty controlled the pace the entire game. Their defense as well was outstanding. Las Vegas was just off and never really got going the entire game although they did come around in the fourth quarter but it was far to late at that point.
Game recap: After the first ten minutes of play, the Liberty had taken a slim 19-17 lead. The largest lead in the game for the Liberty was seven points. Las Vegas had struggled to make shots early while the Liberty got into its offense early.
The Liberty had forced the Aces into difficult late-clock shots instead of the clean looks they usually get for A’Ja Wilson and Jackie Young. New York had capitalized on Aces mistakes pushing the pace and scoring before the Las Vegas defense could set up. The Liberty had controlled the pace in the first quarter and the Aces needed to turn that around in the second quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, the Liberty continued to control the tempo of the game. With four minutes left in the half, New York had taken a ten-point lead 33-23. The Aces would have a lot of work to do in the second half. New York outscored the Aces in the second quarter 23-16 and took a 42-33 lead into the third quarter.
This had not been a great half for Las Vegas. New York shot the ball more efficiently and they did it early. They got quality looks which allowed them to build an early lead. Las Vegas had a few careless turnovers which the Liberty took advantage of and prevented the Aces from getting into any kind of rhythm.
The Liberty had really disrupted the Aces offense. 33 halftime points is far below what fans typically see from Las Vegas. The Aces were just not shooting well, pure and simple. The Liberty were playing a scrappier game getting more offensive rebounds, loose balls and transition baskets.
While a nine-point deficit is not insurmountable for Las Vegas they do have a lot of work to do in the second half. A’Ja Wilson needed to get more touches in the paint and they needed to limit the turnovers.
Chelsea Gray had to heat up. Jackie Young was the only player on the floor in double digits and A’Ja Wilson finished the half with only six points. A little more consistency from beyond the arc would not have hurt either.
Both teams started slow in the third quarter. Las Vegas was getting stops but was unable to capitalize. The Aces went on a six-point run cutting the Liberty lead to 47-43 four minutes into the quarter.
With under three minutes left in the third the Liberty went on a run taking a 60-46 lead making things awfully difficult on Las Vegas. As the third quarter came to an end the Aces were in deep trouble trailing 67-51. The Liberty were controlling the boards and the Aces couldn’t string stops together. The way that New York was playing Las Vegas had a huge task in front of them in the fourth quarter.
The odds certainly favored the Liberty going into the fourth quarter unless the Aces could put together a huge run. They needed to cut the Liberty lead to single digits early. Las Vegas did have a much improved fourth quarter outscoring the Liberty 25-20 but it was just not enough to come away with a win.
One of the biggest reasons for the Las Vegas loss was their offense that went cold after the first quarter. New York’s defense was outstanding making every shot for the Aces difficult and limiting clean looks which forced them into a very frustrating offensive night.
Going into the third quarter the Aces needed a big run but instead the Liberty increased their lead and put the Aces in a very deep hole going into the fourth quarter. Las Vegas had a very good final quarter but the third quarter was the determining factor in this game.
The Liberty’s Breanna Steward had the game high with 20 points. The Aces Jackie Young had the high for her team hitting 19 points. The only double double of the game went to New York’s Sabrina Ionescu, 16 points with 10 rebounds.
Game notes: Tuesday evening the Aces were back in action taking on the Liberty it just turned out the way the Aces suffering fifth loss of the season. Sunday afternoon the Aces punished the Golden State Valkyries winning the game 92-73 leading at one time in the game by 28 points. Currently the Aces are in second place in the standings, the Liberty in fourth.
The Aces remain at home again playing at Michelob ULTRA Arena in front of a packed crowd. The Aces have seen so many competitive games between these two teams over the years, one of the biggest rivalries in the WNBA.
They have faced each other 62 times over the years with the Aces winning 34 times and the Liberty 28. These two teams feature many of the league’s biggest stars including A’Ja Wilson, Breanna Steward, Sabrina Ionescu and Jackie Young. Nearly every matchup between these two teams feels like a playoff game.
Thursday night the Aces will give it another go. They will take on the Dallas Wings who are hot on their heels in the standings. This will be another home game before they head out on the road. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
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