Before the Las Vegas Aces' first game at the Barclays Center on Sunday against the New York Liberty, Becky Hammon said out loud what everyone already knew, or at least suspected: “This team over here,” Hammon said, referring to the heavily remade New York Liberty, “was put together to take you out.”
It was a reference to the frenzied free agency of last offseason that pushed the WNBA into its first Super Team era. The Aces, a favorite to repeat, didn’t take too kindly to the notion that a roster could be put together overnight to contend with them.
“A lot of people picked Liberty in five (games),” said Aces star A’ja Wilson. “We know, we see it. That (stuff) fueled us.”
And Wednesday night, they showed just how good they are — even without some key pieces.
Behind 24 points and 16 rebounds from Wilson, a (significantly) shorthanded Las Vegas team came back from as many as 12 down to beat New York 70-69 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, taking the series 3-1. It is the Aces' second consecutive championship under Hammon, and they are the WNBA’s first back-to-back champions since the Los Angeles Sparks won it all in 2001 and 2002.
“This one’s sweeter,” Hammon said. “(Repeating) is hard to do. We went from darling to villain real quick.”
The title didn’t come without some drama.
After the teams traded runs for the first three and a half quarters, it was tied at 60-all with 5:26 to play. Then the teams traded baskets until, with 8.8 seconds left and trailing by one, 70-69, New York called a timeout and drew up a play for Breanna Stewart, the 2023 MVP.
But Stewart was hounded by the Aces’ Alysha Clark, and had to kick the ball out. It ultimately landed in the corner with Courtney Vandersloot, who took a rushed shot. She air-balled a 3 and that was it.
“I put the ball in the hands of the (2023) MVP,” said New York coach Sandy Brondello. “It just didn’t work out. I’d do it again. It was the right call.”
Vegas frustrated Stewart all night, holding her to just 10 points on 3-of-17 shooting. Stewart said the Liberty had stretches where “we lost our flow and ball movement” and that the Aces “were just throwing whatever defense they had at us, they made sure it was ugly… We knew they were going to junk it up.”
It was an especially impressive win for Las Vegas considering what the Aces were missing. They were down All-Star point guard Chelsea Gray and forward Kiah Stokes — who combined to average 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Aces this season as they compiled a 34-6 record — and the team struggled to adjust to life without its floor general early.
The Aces turned the ball over eight times in the first quarter, which New York turned into seven points, before calming down. They finished with just 13 turnovers but the Liberty got going too, ending the half on an 8-0 run to take a 39-30 lead into the break.
Then Vegas, the league’s best third-quarter team, took over. The Aces dominated the third quarter 23-12 and continued their hot streak into the final period, outscoring New York 16-2 over a crucial stretch.
Also key during that stretch was a huge charge taken by Clark, the league’s Sixth Woman of the Year. Along with Gray and Stokes, the Aces have been missing Candace Parker since early July. Parker was a significant acquisition for the Aces in the offseason, a two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star who is also one of the best defenders in women’s basketball. But Wednesday, Vegas’ defense was more than good enough without her, Gray and Stokes.
Admitted Hammon afterward: “We made up a defense, and they executed the crap out of it.”
Quipped a laughing Clark in response, “Fortune favors the bold, Becky!”
Four Aces scored in double figures, including Clark (10) and Cayla George (11), who both started with Gray and Stokes out. Clark also grabbed eight rebounds. Jackie Young chipped in 16 points.
New York was led by Vandersloot, who finished with 19 points.
