The New York Liberty held off the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, 88-84, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series. Sabrina Ionescu led the charge with 24 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, scoring seven of New York’s final nine points in the last two minutes to secure the win.
The Liberty’s balanced effort saw contributions from Breanna Stewart (15 points, seven rebounds, eight assists), Jonquel Jones (14 points, eight rebounds), and Courtney Vandersloot (12 points, four rebounds), who combined for 41 points.
New York improved to 6-1 in games decided by five points or less this season, including the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Aces fell to 5-6 in such close contests.
History favors the Liberty, as teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five WNBA Playoff series are 18-0 all-time. The Aces now face elimination for the first time since 2021. A’ja Wilson, who scored 18 of her 24 points in the second half, will lead Las Vegas in a must-win Game 3. Since Wilson’s WNBA debut in 2018, the Aces are 5-3 when facing elimination.
Game 3 is a high-stakes battle, with the Liberty looking to advance to the Finals and the Aces fighting to keep their title defense alive.
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