(Photo credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
Sealing the New York Liberty’s 75-71 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, Jonquel Jones made two free throws with 2.5 seconds left.
Contributing to the victory, Breanna Stewart had 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Jones added 15 points and eight rebounds, bringing the Liberty (29-6) closer to securing the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs. Despite a comeback from a 20-point deficit in the second half, Las Vegas (22-13) remained in fourth place.
Playing without star A’ja Wilson, the Aces received 25 points and six assists from Kelsey Plum, 12 points from Jackie Young, and 11 points from Alysha Clark.
Late in the game, Sydney Colson’s 3-pointer gave Las Vegas its first lead since the first quarter. Sabrina Ionescu’s turnaround shot then put the Liberty back in the lead at 72-71. Plum missed a layup attempt, Ionescu made one of two free throws, and the Aces had one final chance to tie or take the lead.
In the third quarter, the Aces narrowed the gap before New York surged ahead by 20 points. Stewart’s turnaround jumper, Nyara Sabally’s layup, and strong defense solidified the Liberty’s lead.
At halftime, Stewart had 14 points and seven rebounds, and the Liberty held a 12-point lead. The Aces struggled with their field goal shooting in the first half.
–Field Level Media
