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The New York Liberty made a bold statement in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals, defeating the Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in front of an energized home crowd at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
With the win, New York takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series, putting the defending champion Aces on notice.
Aces fold against the Liberty in Game 1
Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu were the driving forces behind the victory, combining for 55 points to lead the Liberty's charge.
Stewart, who finished with a game-high 34 points, set the tone early with an 11-point first quarter and a dominant 20-point performance by halftime.
"I think that we're playing to our scouting report really well,"Stewart said after the game.
"Knowing where A'ja [Wilson] is because of the talent that she is, and making sure we're sending two to the ball while rotating on defense. If they're going to take a 3, it's going to be a contested one."
Despite several runs from the Aces, the Liberty maintained their composure throughout the game.
After building a double-digit lead in the first half, New York weathered a fierce comeback attempt by Las Vegas, which pulled within two points in the second quarter.
However, the Liberty quickly responded, taking a 48-38 lead into halftime.
Sabrina Ionescu, who contributed 21 points and key defensive stops, spoke to the team's resilience under pressure.
"I think we handled their runs really well,"Ionescu remarked.
"We went on great runs, we had good leads, and they came back. But we were able to get some stops defensively, and that allowed me to see the 3-point line, see some shots go in, and try to kill their momentum."
Becky Hammon acknowledges Vegas' struggles
The third quarter saw the Aces mount another push, capitalizing on six Liberty turnovers to go on a 12-0 run, trimming New York's lead to just nine points.
But the Liberty's defense held strong, and Ionescu came alive in the fourth quarter, sinking a crucial logo 3-pointer that electrified the crowd and helped the Liberty maintain control.
Las Vegas was led by Kelsey Plum, who scored 24 points and hit four 3-pointers, but it wasn't enough to overcome New York's firepower.
A'ja Wilson, the 2024 WNBA MVP, was quieter than usual, tallying 21 points along with five assists and six rebounds.
Jackie Young also added 17 points for the Aces.
After the game Aces head coach was critical of her team's efforts saying "You can't get only 2 offensive rebounds and get beat in transition all the time. Points in the paint, on the board, on the free throw line, they just kicked our a- in every area of the game, I thought,"
New York will aim to build on this momentum when the series continues with Game 2 on Tuesday in Brooklyn.
A win there would send the Liberty to Las Vegas with a commanding lead in the 5-game series as they look to secure their spot in the WNBA Finals.