Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty Bust Aces in Return to Win Column
BROOKLYN—Well short of a full deck against the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, the New York Liberty nonetheless hit an emotional jackpot.
Another busy night for Sabrina Ionescu pushed the Liberty back into the win column to the tune of an 87-78 triumph over Sin City in Brooklyn.
Ionescu put up 26 points and eight assists and rebounds each, more than making up for the losses of injured starters Natasha Cloud (hip) and Jonquel Jones (ankle, missing her seventh game). New York also went without depth Isabelle Harrison, who was ruled out due to an injured knee.
Despite lacking her famed three-point prowess (1-of-9), Ionescu became the third New Yorker to put up three consecutive games with at least 20 points and five assists/rebounds, joining Cappie Pondexter (2012) and teammate Breanna Stewart (2023). With Ionescu falling just short of a triple-double, Leonie Fiebich had an eventful night with 15 points and nine boards, both season-highs.
Las Vegas played the second half without three-time MVP A'ja Wilson, who injured her wrist on a second quarter drive against Fiebich. Wilson remained in the game to shoot free throws that produced her only points of the night in 14 minutes.
The Liberty get a few days off to recover and adapt, as they'll hit the midway mark of this homestand on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, My9).
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.