Tag: New York Liberty

Liberty Prove Too Hot to Handle In Game One of Series As Aces Fall 87-77

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New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot drives on the Las Vegas Aces forward Alysha Clark (left) in game 1 of the WNBA playoffs at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sun Sep 29, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (27-13) got within two points of the New York Liberty (32-8) in the second quarter but that’s as close as they would get falling in the first game of their best of five series 87-77.

A’Ja Wilson finished the game with 21 points but it was Kelsey Plum with the team high scoring 24 points. The Aces have the unenviable task of trying to contain Breanna Stewart throughout this series. Stewart finished with 34 points.

Game recap: The New York Liberty got right down to business in the opening quarter leading after the first ten minutes of play 28-21. As the clock began to wind down on the second quarter the Liberty began to push their lead out after leading by only two points at the five minute mark.

New York led by ten points 46-34 with 1:10 left in the first half going on a 9-0 run. At halftime the Liberty had maintained their ten point lead 48-38 and Las Vegas had a lot of work to do in the second half. They were missing far too many shots and they had to find a way to contain Breanna Stewart who finished the first half with 20 points.

This is the series that one would expect to see in the finals. The struggles that the Aces had in the first part of the season had a lot to do with how these matchups look today. Las Vegas is known to be a second half team and they will need to show up in this one.

Stealing a game in New York is exactly what the Aces will be looking to do. Plum succeeded in the first half making quick decisions because of the defensive pressure that the Liberty were bringing. Las Vegas had some catching up to do in the third quarter but they have the talent to do just that.

New York continued to extend their lead in the third quarter and Las Vegas continued with spotty shooting. At 7:43 the Liberty led 55-40 and New York was dictating the pace of this game continuing to pile on the points. At 5:46 they led 62-44 totally dominating the Aces.

Plum continued her intensive play verbally sparring with Spike Lee who shouted at her from the sidelines only getting her even more heated up. Play took a turn with Las Vegas going on a 12-0 run pulling to within six points after trailing by 18.

Las Vegas just did not have the defensive answer for Stewart and this was glaring throughout the game. As the third quarter came to an end the Aces had cut the Liberty’s 18 point lead in half. New York was up nine 71-62 going into the fourth quarter.

With 28 points, Stewart sat out the start of the fourth quarter with four fouls. The Liberty continued to clog up the paint and Las Vegas was struggling to be able to make those inside shots that have made them so successful.

New York was hitting from inside, from outside, making ridiculous long shots. There was no stopping them today. The Liberty took full advantage of the turnovers, missed shots and defensive ineffectiveness that the Aces brought winning the first game of the series 87-77.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Aces lost the first game in their best of a five game series against the Liberty in what promises to be a incredibly intense, competitive and exciting series. The reigning champions Aces could be pushed to the brink in this series if the Liberty put up a tough battle throughout.

If the Aces want to win another title, they will have to beat the best and right now the Liberty are the number one team in basketball. The New York starting roster is loaded with Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and they are primed and have tested the Aces.

On the other hand the Aces starting roster are no pushover with the amazing A’Ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelseas Gray. Las Vegas also has Alysha Clark and Tiffany Hayes who have been invaluable off the bench. This is going to be one crazy series.

While this is only the beginning, the Aces have a lot to figure out going into game two. Putting the stops on Stewart (34 points) and Ionescu (21 points) will be a tough call. When the Aces went on runs, the Liberty put a stop to it every time.

New York is hungry for their first championship and you can see it in their play. Game two is scheduled to tipoff in New York Tuesday evening the time still to be determined.

Aces Win First Game With Fever 86-75; Vegas-Indiana tip off Friday for game 2

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The Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) takes a jump shot against the Indiana Fevers guard Caitlin Clark (22) and forward Aliyah Boston (7) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wed Sep 11, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

With A’Ja Wilson back on the court the Las Vegas Aces (22-13) had the resources needed to beat a tough Indiana Fever team(19-17) 86-75 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. This is the first of two games with the Fever, the second to be played Friday night also in Indiana. Wilson finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds for a double double despite not being at 100 percent.

It is no secret how well the Indiana Fever have been playing and this will really test the Aces. Caitlin Clark has been playing some really nice ball averaging over 19 points a game. Las Vegas will have to contain her which will be the key to a win over the Fever.

The game was close in the opening quarter and the Aces took a slim 20-18 lead. Las Vegas began to distance themselves in the second quarter leading 30-23 mid-way through the quarter at 5:34. With under a minute left in the half, the Aces had established a 41-32 lead.

At the half, Wilson had scored 12 points with eight rebounds. Alysha Clark and Tiffany Hayes were having a great game off the bench each with nine points in the first half. Both Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young had really slow starts. Young only had two points in the first two quarters and Plum had a single point.

Caitlan Clark had eight points and the high score in the half for Indiana was Kelsey Mitchell with 11 points. There was some star power in attendance with country super-star Darius Rucker taking in the game.

Tyrese Halliburton and Myles Turner were also on hand. Women’s basketball has taken the country by storm and we see celebs across the country supporting this exciting sport that attracts more and more followers with every season. Wednesday night’s game was the 14th sellout at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season.

The Fever came into the third quarter with renewed effort and trailed by a single point mid-way through the quarter 48-49. Las Vegas would push the lead back out leading after three quarters 64-57. This had been an extremely long quarter with the refs going to replay three times in the quarter in fact Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon was called for a technical for arguing with the officials.

The Fever threatened to rally numerous times in the fourth quarter but Las Vegas continued to push the lead back. Indiana was going nowhere and they were playing hard and pulling to within six points at 6:48 72-66.

With the Aces leading 80-73 and 3:20 left on the clock, this game was hardly over. Las Vegas hung in the game and when the dust had settled, the Aces had beaten Indiana by the score of 86-75.

It was a terrific effort from Wilson with 27 points and 12 rebounds for yet another double double and not being at 100 percent. With a day off Thursday the hopes are that she will continue to completely heal heading into the playoffs.

Chelsea Gray finished with 11 points. The Aces had some great work off the bench with Clark scoring 14 points and Hayes with 12. Plum came around in the second half finishing with nine points. They had held Clark to 16 point in this game.

Game notes: Wednesday night the Aces took on the Fever in the first of two back-to-back games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Sunday, the Aces lost a close game to the New York Liberty coming up just short 75-71without their “Ace” A’Ja Wilson who missed the game with an ankle injury.

Wilson had not missed a game in years and while she is not at 100 percent the hopes are that she will be as close as possible going into the playoffs. She did wear a boot on the sidelines on Sunday but her MRI came back clean, great news, and this was just a precaution. It will be good to see her back on the court.

Friday night the Aces will play the Fever one more time with tipoff scheduled for 4:30 PM PT. This first game was very close throughout until the final minutes. Game two could prove to be even tougher.

Aces Come Up Just Short In Absence of A’Ja Wilson Losing to Liberty 75-71

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New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) takes the ball against the Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) at Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Sun Sep 8, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photos)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (22-13) came oh so close to beating the New York Liberty (29-6) despite the absence of the injured A’Ja Wilson. The Aces had trailed by as much as 20 points in the third quarter but turned this game around.

The Liberty won this game and this year’s series 75-71. The Aces Kelsey Plum had a great game scoring 25 points. Despite the loss, the was a sort of win for Las Vegas coming this close without their full starting roster. Some huge stars attended the game with Stephen Curry, Klay Thomas and Devin Booker on hand.

Game recap: It was a well-played first quarter of basketball from both teams. The Liberty after trailing by as much as eight points had a two point lead 26-24 after the first ten minutes of play. For the first time in a long time, the team was without A’Ja Wilson on the floor.

The last time she missed a game was back on August 3, 2019. A right lower leg injury suffered in their game against the Sun last Friday night sidelined her for Sunday’s game. Her 32 point per game average will be missed and this will be a tough one for Las Vegas.

After a very close first quarter, the Liberty began to flex their muscle extending their first quarter lead to 37-28 with an 8-0 run and 6:02 left in the second quarter. The Aces were missing a number of layups and against a team the caliber of the Liberty you cannot miss. The five turnovers in the second quarter did nothing to further their cause. At the half, the Liberty had established a 45-33 lead with a big-time second quarter.

At the half Kelsey Plum had ten points and Jackie Young had eight points for the Aces. The Liberty had taken over the points in the paint outscoring the Aces 20-8. This is where A’Ja Wilson excels. In the first quarter Las Vegas had eight assists setting up some great success from downtown but in the second quarter only one assist and the three’s began to fail.

The third quarter got underway with another Ace turnover. Las Vegas also trailed significantly when it came to rebounds. The Liberty had out-rebounded the Aces in the first half 22-12. Throughout the quarter the Liberty continued to push their lead and after three, they led 64-51.

New York’s Breanna Stewart had 21 points after three quarters and Jonquel Jones had 13. The Aces had very few offensive rebounds so far in this game with one quarter left. The starting roster of the Liberty is a collection of superstars making them pretty much unstoppable.

They are a well-oiled machine offensively and defensively. Las Vegas had a great start but unfortunately that began to wane throughout the second and third quarters. The confidence that they started the game with just disappeared, it went AWOL.

With under seven minutes left in the game, the Aces had pulled to within three points. The defending champions had rallied in the absence of A’Ja Wilson pulling it all together giving the Liberty a whole lot to worry about.

With under four minutes left in the game, Las Vegas made it a one point game trailing 65-66. This game had turned into a real nail-biter and with under two minutes the Liberty were clinging onto the lead 70-68.

With 1:54 left in the game, Las Vegas took the lead 71-70. This was the Aces first lead since the first quarter. This game began to mirror their last game with the Sun where they trailed for most of the game and won it all in the final minute of play.

With 37 ticks left on the clock the Liberty had a one point lead 72-71. Unfortunately this game did not play out like their last game but they made an amazing comeback after trailing by as much as 20 points in the third quarter. Coming this close in the absence of Wilson was a win in itself for Las Vegas despite losing this game 75-71. They won the fourth quarter 20-11.

Game notes: With five games left in the 2024 season the Aces dropped a key game to the New York Liberty. They have been faced with some very challenging matchups. They beat the Connecticut Sun Friday night 72-67 and Sunday they faced the number one team in the WNBA, the Liberty and battled to a 75-71 loss in Brooklyn.

Their schedule does not get any easier facing the Indiana Fever twice playing them next Wednesday and Friday night. It is a really tough upcoming schedule but if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. The loss is a tough one against the Liberty but this Aces team is looking to move on in their next game against the Fever.

The Aces will remain on the road for their next game Wednesday night taking on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. They will meet again in a second matchup on Friday night in Las Vegas. Tipoff Wednesday night is scheduled for 4:00 PM. It is not known if A’Ja Wilson will play in Indiana. The takeaway is that the Aces need Wilson healthy and at full strength for the upcoming playoffs.

Aces Back On Winning Track Getting Past Dream 83-72

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Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes (15) drives on the Atlanta Dream at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Aug 30. 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Atlanta Dream got close numerous times throughout the game but the Las Vegas Aces hung tight winning the game 83-72. A’Ja Wilson had another stellar game with 15 rebounds and 26 points. Tiffany Hayes also had a terrific game with 10 rebounds and 20 points. Kelsey Plum chipped in 16 points.

Game recap: The Aces won both the first and the second quarters of this game. They led after the first ten minutes of play 22-18. The Dream played a very competitive second quarter although the Aces did win it 22-20.

Las Vegas led at halftime 44-38 and going into the second half of play this game was hardly decided. The Aces have in the past really turned it on in the second half, especially the fourth quarter although it did not go their way in their last game against the Wings. They were looking to close out this game in the second half.

Atlanta continued to fight hard in the third quarter and got as close as four points in the early minutes of the quarter. The Dream kept challenging throughout the quarter but the Aces stubbornly hung onto the lead and after three quarters had a 65-58 lead. A’Ja Wilson already had a double double with 13 rebounds and 20 points.

At 6:34 in the fourth quarter, the Aces had established a 73-64 lead. Atlanta called a time out when Las Vegas began to extend their lead and showed no signs of letting down. The Dream had a lot of work to do with little time left in the game. With 2:11 left in the game, the Aces were distancing themselves from the Dream leading 79-67. Las Vegas closed out this game winning by the score of 83-72.

The high for the Dream was Allisha Gray who finished with nine rebounds and 17 points. They had three players in double digits but they could not match A’Ja Wilson and company.

Game notes: After a disappointing loss to the Dallas Wings Tuesday night in a tight game 93-90, the Las Vegas Aces were looking to bounce back Friday night against the Dream. The Aces are currently fighting to move up in the standings; they are in fifth place right now. They are a half game behind the fourth place Seattle Storm. The Storm were defeated by the New York Liberty Friday night 98-85 allowing to the Aces to move within a half game on the Storm.

Sunday the Aces will take on the Mercury in Phoenix. The Mercury will be a tough game for the Aces. They come in with a 16-16 record and could really cause some problems for the Aces. The Aces are still not playing their best ball yet although they did play a better game Friday night. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

Aces Fall to WNBA Number One New York Liberty 79-67

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The Las Vegas Aces Guard Jackie Young (0) takes the ball down the floor against the New York Liberty’s guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sat Aug 17, 2024 (photo by the Las Vegas Aces)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (16-9) took on the New York Liberty (23-4), returning for their first league game since the Paris Olympics. They had a great start but they could not sustain that momentum. The Liberty went on to win the next three quarters after dropping the opening quarter 28-24. A’Ja Wilson had another terrific game with a double double finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds but it was just not enough to get past New York losing 79-67 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Game recap: Las Vegas got a nice start winning the opening quarter and leading 28-24 after the first ten minutes. The Liberty came roaring back punishing the Aces 18-8 in the second quarter taking a 42-36 lead into the locker room at the half.

The Aces struggled with far too many turnovers in the first half committing six in the second quarter alone and they really fell short rebounding. The Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu went on a crazy run which accounted for the success that the Liberty had not only in the second quarter but in the remainder of the game.. The Aces had some work to do in the second half.

Las Vegas got close in the third quarter trailing by as little as two points but were never able to take the lead. After three quarters, the Aces still trailed 59-51 as the Liberty continued to flex their muscle. Las Vegas needed the physicality and tenacity that they had in the first quarter if there was any chance to win this game. Las Vegas has been a fourth quarter team this season and they were hoping to continue on this path in the final quarter.

Jackie Young had a quiet first half and the team would really need her in the fourth quarter. She only scored two points in the first half of play. In the early minutes of the final quarter, the Liberty had established a ten-point lead 62-52.

The Aces challenged a play in the fourth quarter but it did not go Las Vegas’ way and head coach Becky Hammond was not happy with the result and also not happy with the way the team was playing.

The Aces were just not knocking down shots in the first four minutes of the quarter but they had no choice but to take as many shots as possible. At 6:23 the Aces started to make a push pulling to within four points 67-63.

Mid-way through the quarter Las Vegas began to struggle making shots, not taking advantage of a lot of opportunities and falling behind by a significant margin 75-63. With under five minutes left in the game the Liberty had taken their largest lead so far and Las Vegas was running out of time. The final was 79-67 in favor of the Liberty.

A’Ja Wilson had a double double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray each had 13 points and Gray also turned in six rebounds. Jackie Young had a rough game only scoring four points; two points in the first half and two in the second. The Aces really cleaned up the turnovers with none in the second half.

Game notes: Saturday afternoon, the Aces got down to business after an amazing showing in the Paris Olympics. They took on the Liberty at Michelob ULTRA Arena as play got back underway in the 2024 season which is rapidly winding down.

The teams will now fight for the eight places in the playoffs. Olympic teammates will return to their respective teams as play has already gotten underway the first games played last Thursday. The Las Vegas Aces dropped to fifth place in the WNBA, and dropped into third place in the Western Conference after Saturday’s loss. The Liberty right now are sitting on top of the League with a 23 and 4 record. This game was expected to be a real dogfight between two of the best teams in the WNBA but the Liberty just laid into the Aces coming away with a 12 point win.

Sunday, the Aces will be back on the court in Las Vegas taking on the Los Angeles Sparks. The Aces will not only be looking to get back on track but they will also be concentrating on moving up in the standings in the final season push with 15 games left in the regular season for the team. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 3:00 PM.

Aces Slow Start Spearheads Loss to Chicago Sky 93-85

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The Chicago Sky’s forward Michaela Onyenwere (12) defends against the Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Tue Jul 16, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

Las Vegas Aces (16-7) struggled through the first quarter trailing by 19 points after the first 12 minutes. They continued to challenge throughout the game getting close but never led once. It was a real battle in the fourth quarter with the Aces getting as close as a single point but they were unable to get on top.

The Chicago Sky (9-14) won the game 93-85. A’Ja Wilson fought through this game finishing with a double double, 28 points and 14 rebounds but the Aces came up just short despite her effort.

Game recap: The first quarter of this game was all Sky. They came out hard and fast and when the clock wound down on the first 12 minutes of this game, Chicago had taken a 25-12 lead and the Aces had some work to do in the second quarter.

The Sky had so far controlled the pace of this game and Las Vegas had to do a better job containing Chennedy Carter who already had scored 14 points. Chicago owned the shots from the field, from downtown and was out-rebounding the Aces 14 to 9.

Poor shooting was killing Las Vegas through the first half of the second quarter. With 4:50 left in the half, the Sky had taken a 40-21 lead. The Aces could not buy a long ball and Chicago was shooting at 44.4 % from downtown while Las Vegas was struggling only hitting 14.3 %.

They were getting shellacked. The Aces have not struggled like this at home all season. As the half came to an end, the Aces turned this game completely around after trailing by as much as 19.

Chicago continued to lead at the half but their lead had been cut to 44-37 as the Aces pushed back with ferocity. Las Vegas had a horrible start to this game but they were back on track going into the second half.

The Sky pushed their lead back to ten points 60-50 six minutes into the third quarter. Kelsey Plum continued to struggle only hitting two points for the entire game. The Sky had established a 12 point lead for much of the quarter and after three quarters, they continued to lead 69-63 and the Aces had one quarter left in this game to right the ship. Known for turning games around in the fourth quarter, they would have to show up in this one if they had any chance to win the game.

Las Vegas did indeed challenge in the fourth quarter trailing by a single point 73-72 with over seven minutes left in the game. Tiffany Hayes was having a great game off the bench hitting 14 points through three quarters and A’Ja Wilson already had another double double with 28 points and 10 rebounds.

With 7:15 left on the clock, the Sky were forced to take a full timeout and attempt to re-group as the Aces continued to forge a comeback. With 4:54 left in the game it continued to be a one-point game 75-74 with the Sky leading.

At 3:52, Las Vegas had at long last tied up this game at 77. The Aces had been unable to take the lead throughout the game as the Sky punched back taking an 88-81 lead with 1:32 left in the game and the Aces were running out of time.

Chicago had proven to be a most worthy opponent beating the defending champions 93-85. This was the Sky’s first win over Las Vegas in two years and they did in style.

The Aces were challenged the entire game by Chennedy Carter unable to contain herself and she finished with the game high 34 points. She led the way in this Chicago win. The slow start for Las Vegas was the determining factor and they never really recovered.

Game notes: Tuesday night the Aces took on the Sky at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Las Vegas ended their winning streak at four with the loss to the Sky. With the loss they fall a half game back behind first place Seattle in the Western Conference .

The Sky have come a long way since earlier in the season when they struggled with a .500 record at 6-6 record. The Sky have struggled at times this season but this not a team that you can take at all lightly as the Aces found out. They gave the Aces a run for their money despite being on the road.

A’Ja Wilson finished this game with a double double, 28 points and 14 rebounds. Jackie Young had 17 points but Kelsey Plum struggled through the game with only two points at the half and eight points for the game. Tiffany Hayes had a nice game off the bench with 19 points.

The Aces will continue their season on Saturday August 17 taking on the New York Liberty with tipoff scheduled for 1:00 PM.

Defending Champion Aces Fall to New York Liberty 90-82

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It was all an uphill battle for A’ja Wilson (22) and the Las Vegas Aces against the New York Liberty at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sat Jun 15, 2024 (Getty)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (6-6) remained close in their matchup with the New York Liberty (12-2) through the first half. of this game. The Liberty went on a 14-0 run in the middle of the third quarter which turned this game sideways for the Aces. Las Vegas came up short in this one losing 90-82. There was good news for Las Vegas however.

They will really power up when Chelsea Gray returns from her injury. They did not have their best offensive effort in the later minutes of the third quarter and a different outcome is a distinct possibility in their August 17 matchup and even more plausible in September when they meet up on the 8th.

The Liberty came out strong taking a 28-20 lead after the first ten minutes of play. The way that the Aces have struggled this season the quick start from New York was concerning. Las Vegas countered however, winning the second quarter 23-17 but did trail at the half 45-43. They had a much improved quarter.

Game recap: Going into the third quarter, the Las Vegas Aces trailed but we’re very much in this game. New York however, mounted a 14-0 run in the middle of the third quarter building a seven-point lead 67-60. It would all come down to who could ride this one out in the fourth quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter Kelsey Plum was hooked in an obvious foul which left her down on the court. The Liberty recovered the ball on the no call and drove down court to sink a three taking a ten-point lead 70-60. With Plum down on the other end of the court the Aces were trying to defend with a 4-5 situation. Through three quarters the Liberty were outplaying the Aces from inside and outside. The game had taken an ugly turn for the Aces.

With just under six minutes left in the game Jackie Young had committed her fifth personal. With every Las Vegas bucket, New York answered and the Aces were running out of time with under four minutes left in the game.

With so little time left on the clock, the Aces were faced with having to play a perfect game and try to overlook some of the calls in the second half which were questionable. They did not even come close to a near perfect game in fact, it was the Liberty who rose to the occasion. With under two minutes left on the clock and the Liberty in control leading 88-74 it was all but a done deal. The final was 90-82 in favor of the Liberty, their eighth win in a row.

Kelsey Plum was the high score for the Aces with 22 points and A’ja Wilson right behind with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Kiah Stokes had a terrific game with 12 rebounds. Alysha Clark chipped in 13 points in the loss. Chelsea Gray did not play which was a coach’s decision but with her listed on the player roster her return could be eminent.

The high score for the Liberty was Jonquel Jones with 34 points and 8 rebounds. The 6’6″ forward had an amazing game spurring her team on to the win.

Despite the loss, there is optimism for Las Vegas. The return of Chelsea Gray could very well change things drastically for the team. While there is room for improvement on the defensive side of the ball, the shortcomings are very fixable. They did not have their best offensive effort today so that will no doubt improve. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel for the Las Vegas Aces.

Game notes: Saturday afternoon the matchup that everyone had been anticipating took place at Michelob ULTRA Arena between the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. This was a clash between the two super teams of 2023.

The question that looms right now, are both of these teams super this season. The Liberty have had a great start this season with a record of 12-2. They are rolling. As far as the Las Vegas Aces, they don’t appear to be what one could consider super right now. They have struggled this season with a 6-6 record, they are still missing Chelsea Gray, their defense has some cracks and they are considered the underdogs in this game.

After a brief illness Jackie Young was back and appeared to be in great form scoring 34 points in their last game, a win over Phoenix. Neither of these teams are at the top of the standings right now. With the incredible success that the Las Vegas Aces have enjoyed for the past five seasons teams around the league are focusing on ways to build, ways to take them down and six teams have indeed beaten Las Vegas so far this season.

It would appear that despite the great New York start the super team era could very well have reached the end of its rope. This year’s champion is a crapshoot at this point in the season. There are so many vying teams right now with the Lynx, the Storm, the Sun and the Liberty all viable.

Las Vegas will be back on the court Wednesday night on their home court taking on the Seattle Storm. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: MGM says lack of A’s ballpark blueprints is putting them behind schedule for construction; NBA All-Star contest winners; plus more news

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The MGM Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is waiting for an answer from the Oakland Athletics on a design that will connect a pedestrian bridge to the new ballpark. Without the design the MGM can not proceed with construction and the A’s non decision is holding up their plans. (Nevada Independent photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Top topic lack of Las Vegas A’s plans are stalling MGM Grand remodeling plans. The MGM is waiting for the future Las Vegas A’s to come up with with blueprints so they can figure in their remodeling plans. MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle said he’s been shown three different plans as to where the ballpark will sit on the site. Problem is the A’s do not have a definite design that has been decided on and Hornbuckle wants to get on with his construction at the MGM so he can build a pedestrian bridge to the ballpark.

#2 The A’s further have met with the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority and have not come to an agreement for a lease extension that would have them play at the Coliseum from 2025-27 three years. Major League Baseball is in a bit of a pickle the A’s need to make a decision soon as the 2025 schedules come out in July but the City of Oakland wants MLB to guarantee an expansion team for Oakland and Rob Manfred said the Bay Area already has a team and that should be good enough.

#3 The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry edged out the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu in the three point contest at the NBA All Star Game in Indianapolis Saturday night 29-26. Ionescu hit seven straight three points for the 26 points.

#4 Mac McClung won back to back slam dunk contests and is now the fifth NBA player to have back to back wins in the slam dunk competition. McClung surpassed Shaq O’Neil with a 50 point slam over all people Shaq who was holding the ball above his had for the record setting dunk.

#5 Wanted to get a chance to ask you about the firing of former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks who got the blame for the 49ers loss in the Super Bowl. Talk about what mistakes he made and how does a defensive coordinator who contributed highly on his defense takes a team to the Super Bowl and ends up getting fired?

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Aces Will Their Way To A Back To Back Championship Against all Odds 70-69

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Las Vegas Aces A’Ja Wilson (left) and owner Mark Davis (right) celebrate the Aces second consecutive championship with teammates at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn against the New York Liberty on Wed Oct 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Against all odds the Las Vegas Aces won a back to back championship 70-69 at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. Despite playing behind the eight ball for most of the game they refused to give in. Every single player on the floor in this game was a part of this win. In the final possession Alysha Clark had the tough call guarding Breanna Stewart and she did not disappoint.

Wednesday evening the Las Vegas Aces (3-1) took on the New York Liberty (1-3) in game four of the WNBA championship series. The Aces dug deep as they faced their most daunting challenge in this game.

The shocking news for Las Vegas was the loss of not only starter point guard Chelsea Gray but also center Kiah Stokes both seen court side with boots and Stokes wearing not only a boot but walking with crutches.

It was a real blow for the Aces. They were so close to a back to back championship leading the series 2-1 but they were able to get over the hurdle. Gray’s absence on the court hurt since she has been a huge reason for their success this season and that was a real gut punch.

This is a tough bunch and the Aces had their core group step up. A’Ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young showed up big. Alysha Clark and Cayla George filled in on the starting roster.

Game 4 recap: There was a “hold your breath” moment in the early minutes of the first quarter. Jackie Young went down and remained down on the court for a bit but was apparently collecting herself.

A sigh of relief for Las Vegas as Young was able to get up albeit rubbing her left knee. Las Vegas could ill afford another injury. The Aces led early but the Liberty took the lead with under two minutes left in the first ten minutes 21-11.

The Aces defensive effort was almost palpable; they were trying with everything they could muster but they had some reckless turnovers that hurt them. Making things worse, A’Ja Wilson was on the bench with two personal fouls. The Liberty were creating chaos on the court and the Aces were having a lot of trouble handling New York. The Liberty led after one quarter 23-13.

The Aces continued to fight in the second quarter and cut the New York lead to four points 25-21. The Liberty came charging back and extended their lead to seven but Las Vegas would not be denied and five minutes into the quarter they trailed by a single basket 24-27.

The Aces pulled too within one point in the closing minutes but fell apart as the clock ran out missing four shots in a row with yet another turnover. The Liberty took a 39-30 lead into the locker room at the half.

Las Vegas won the second quarter by a single digit 17-16. They really had it going for a while in the second quarter but they would have to do it consistently in the second half. The Aces really cut down on the turnovers in the quarter with only two but they would need an even stronger offense if they hoped to get past a fully loaded Liberty team.

At halftime not a single Las Vegas player had double digits. They would need a whole lot more from Young and Plum who finished the first half with only five points apiece. The Liberty’s Betnijah Laney had 11 and Courtney Vandersloot had 12.

The Aces were able to contain the always dangerous Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones. They only managed 11 points between the three of them which was huge for the Aces. The key to a victory would be continued containment of Stewart, Ionescu and Jones as well as driving the basket for more points in the paint.

The Las Vegas Aces clawed their way into a winning third quarter 23-12 and leading 53-51 after three. They were one quarter away from a championship against all odds. The Aces went on a 16-2 run in the fourth quarter leading 60-53 but let that lead get away.

With 6:34 left in the game, the Las Vegas lead had dwindled to 60-58 and they had let the Liberty back into the game. With under five minutes left in the game it was all tied up at 62. The Aces started taking ill-advised shots and missing badly.

Las Vegas continued to fight through the fatigue which had to play a factor in this game and they had to take care of the basketball in the final three minutes. The Aces continued to keep B Stewart under wraps holding her to 3 of 17 shots.

With 41.7 left in the game Las Vegas had a 70-69 lead in a real nail-biter. With the 70-69 lead and 8.8 left on the clock the ball was in the hands of the Liberty. Clark had the unenviable task of guarding superstar Stewart and it was Clark who brought the championship home. The Aces had to call on every ounce of strength left in them in a most gritty performance.

After an amazing season the MVP Award went to Wilson who finished this game with another double double. She had 24 points and an amazing 16 rebounds. Young, George and Clark all finished with double digits. So now the Las Vegas Aces are Champions once again in this amazing dynasty.

Aces Drop Game Three As Liberty Force a Game Four 87-73

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The Las Vegas Aces A’Ja Wilson (22) tries to drive on the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart (30) in first half action in game 3 of the WNBA Finals at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Liberty had a beautiful game plan and executed it to perfection winning game three 87-73. Kelsey Plum had the high in this game with 29 points but it was just not enough to get past New York. Chelsea Gray left the court with an apparent right left injury in the fourth quarter. Losing Gray would be a devastating blow to Las Vegas.

Sunday afternoon the Las Vegas Aces (34-6) came into Barclays Center looking to finish off the New York Liberty (32-9) and take a back-to-back championship. The Liberty put the brakes on that sentiment. They were playing at home in this game and this team is nothing to mess with especially after the embarrassment they suffered last Wednesday night at the hands of Las Vegas 104-76.

The Liberty are a desperate team coming into this game and a desperate team is a dangerous team. While they had some great success during the season against the Aces, this is the finals and all bets are off. Having a 2-0 series lead is huge for Las Vegas and the odds are clearly on their side.

The opening quarter was a puzzling one. Both teams looked stale and it took a few minutes to get this game going. Las Vegas had some ugly turnovers in the first quarter. Both the Aces and the Liberty had trouble making shots but they got it going as the quarter wore on. The Liberty took a nine point lead with under two minutes left in the opening quarter but the Aces continued to push back trailing by three points at the quarters end 21-18.

New York continued to press the Aces in the second quarter. The most the Liberty led by in the second quarter was eight points and at the half it continued to be a three point game 43-40. The two teams had shot for 22 points apiece in the second quarter. New York who is the best three point scoring team in the league was giving the Aces a run for their money. Every time the Aces threatened, the Liberty poured it on but they were unable to take a sizable lead.

The Liberty got a nice lead going in the third quarter 51-40 at 6:47. The Aces had some disturbing turnovers in the quarter and the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones was having an amazing and dominating game from the start, and there was no shutting her down.

Mid-way through the quarter the Aces already had ten turnovers, some of them very careless. Kelsey Plum was the only Las Vegas player with double digits. The Liberty had shut down the rest of the starters including A’Ja Wilson who had only 11 points by the quarters end.

As the quarter began to wear down the Liberty had taken a 14-point lead, the largest lead in the game so far. The Aces would have to pull out all the stops in the fourth quarter to get past a determined Liberty squad trailing after three quarters 61-50.

The fourth quarter would decide if the Liberty could push this series into a game four. The Aces while known for being a second half team did not live up to their reputation in the third quarter and would have one more quarter to make a move.

It was slow going for Las Vegas but after trailing by 11 points had cut it to six points as they continued to chip away at the Liberty’s lead. It got even tougher in the final minutes of the quarter for the Aces when Chelsea Gray limped off to the locker room with an apparent right leg injury seemingly in terrible pain.

When the Aces were looking to make their move, they lost Gray and at that point the Liberty just took over the game. New York had their largest lead of the game with under two minutes left 84-67. There was no stopping the Liberty as they kept this series alive.

The Las Vegas Aces remain one game away from the promised land but should the team lose Chelsea Gray it would be a horrible blow. She is a vital part of this team and playing without her would be a tough call .

Kelsey Plum finished with the team high of 29 points. A’Ja Wilson had a double double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Aces will no doubt take what happened on the floor today personally and will come out with a new resolve as they try to finish off this series in game four. They do not want to have to go back to Las Vegas tied in the series 2-2. Tipoff for game four is scheduled for Wednesday night October 18 at 5:00 PM.