Sabrina Ionescu scored 25 points as the host New York Liberty took control in the second quarter and recorded a 94-85 victory over the league-best Las Vegas Aces on Monday night.
The Liberty (28-7) won their fourth straight game and reached 90 points for the 14th time this year. New York also gained a split of the regular-season series at two games apiece and pulled within 1 1/2 games of the Aces (30-6).
New York’s Breanna Stewart, despite a 9-of-23 showing from the floor that included 0-of-7 accuracy from 3-point range, wound up with 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Betnijah Laney and Courtney Vandersloot added 17 points apiece for the Liberty, who shot 45.3 percent.
Vandersloot handed out 10 of New York’s 24 assists.
Jackie Young put up 24 points for the Aces, who dropped consecutive games for the first time this season and have lost three of their past five. A’ja Wilson added 23 points and Chelsea Grey contributed 16 points and nine assists, but Kelsey Plum was held to nine points and shot 4-for-14 as the Aces shot 44.9 percent overall.
After Las Vegas led by nine in the first quarter, Ionescu scored 10 points in a 15-3 run to put New York in front. Her 3-pointer with 21.2 seconds left gave the Liberty a 22-19 lead through the opening quarter.
The Aces were within 27-26 after Wilson’s second-quarter jumper before the Liberty ripped off an 11-0 run. Ionescu hit her third trey of the half with 8.9 seconds left for a 47-35 lead.
Ionescu’s fourth 3-pointer extended the lead to 58-39 with 6:41 remaining in the third, and the Liberty maintained a 70-58 advantage going into the fourth after Plum missed a 3-point try in the final seconds.
Vandersloot’s three-point play gave New York a 77-60 lead with 7:11 left, and Ionescu’s fifth 3-pointer made it 88-72 with 3:22 to go. The Aces mounted a late charge, ripping off a 10-2 run that got them within 90-82 on Young’s 3-pointer with 84 seconds left, but Las Vegas could not get any closer.
–Field Level Media
