A'ja Wilson, Aces Bust Liberty's Attempt at Sweep
Unable to walk away from the table, the New York Liberty's energy on a Sin City bender fell just short of a jackpot.
Back on the floor less than 24 hours after a win in Los Angeles, the Liberty put up a respectable effort against the Las Vegas Aces but fell just short on the wrong end of an 83-77 final at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The loss spoiled Emma Meesseman's first double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) as a New Yorker, as the in-season import became just the eighth Liberty rep to earn one within her first six games with the organization. Three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson countered her on the other end with 17 points and 16 boards while Jewell Loyd had 21 points off the bench.
Still shorthanded despite welcoming back depth star Kennedy Burke to the fold (Isabelle Harrison, Nyara Sabally, and Breanna Stewart all remained out), the Liberty led for a significant portion of Wednesday's game, energized by shooting 50 percent through the first three periods.
A one-sided fourth quarter from a potentially exhausted group of seafoam savants was enough to push the latest edition of the champions' rivalry over to the hosts: New York was outscored 22-14 over the final 10, with all 14 points coming from the hands of either Meesseman or Sabrina Ionescu.
Las Vegas likewise struggled from the field in the final stanzas, hitting just 3-of-15 from the field in the final frame, but it ate away at the Liberty's opportunities through a rediscovery of its offensive rebounding game and excess trips to the foul line. Wilson's clutch antics kicked in at the perfect time, bringing in five second chances alone while hitting all six of her singles at the foul line.
The Aces (19-14) went to the foul line 18 times in the fourth quarter alone, hitting all but three chances there. In comparison, the Liberty had just 16 singles in total, including five in the fourth despite getting in the bonus relatively early. New York also lost five turnovers that, in turn, yielded eight Las Vegas points.
The final part of this road trip lands on Saturday afternoon when the penultimate of four WNBA Finals rematches against the Minnesota Lynx is staged at Target Center (2 p.m. ET, CBS).
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.