The Liberty are close to getting revenge.
They’ve put the Aces in the same position they were in during last year’s WNBA Finals: an 0-2 hole.
A deficit that’s nearly impossible to come out of. A deficit that’ll require a miracle to come out of to continue the chase for an Aces three-peat.
And with the way the Liberty are performing, they’ll celebrate a series victory in their opponent’s arena — like the Aces did in 2023.
Tuesday’s 88-84 Game 2 victory over the Aces needed an all-out Liberty effort to stave off an A’ja Wilson takeover down the stretch.
She started with a 13-foot pullup, then used a nice step-through to get a layup against stout defense. But Jonquel Jones followed up with a trey to go up eight with eight minutes remaining.
The 2024 MVP went on to score six more, helping her team get within one point on twice different occasions.
Then in the final minutes, chaos ensued:
See-saw possessions, missed free throws and momentum-shifting baskets took place at Barclays Center.
With 1:31 remaining, Alysha Clark’s trey tied the game at 81. Sabrina Ionescu responded with a jumper that put her team back up two. The two teams spent the next moments trading misfires, including a Wilson attempt at the rim the looked like the tying bucket with 21 seconds remaining.
After a jump ball, Ionescu was called for a loose ball foul on Tiffany Hayes, who split the ensuing free throws. Ionescu then was fouled and split her own pair to go up two with 11.1 seconds left in regulation.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon called timeout, drew up a play that never got a chance to run due Chelsea Gray’s errant pass. Officials reviewed play, deeming the Aces touched the ball before it went out of bounds.
It put the game out of reach, leading to Liberty knocking down clutch free throws in the end.
The fourth quarter felt like the final quarter of an elimination game. The Aces fought like their postseason lives depended on it. The same way the Liberty fought to stay alive in Game 4 of the final round last year.
The Libs came up on top this time, needed just one more win to return to the WNBA Finals. Ionescu and Wilson both lead their teams with 24 points. Las Vegas’ Jackie Young scored 17 while Breanna Stewart poured in 15 for the Liberty.
The Aces came into Game 2 throwing the first punch, an expected result with the Hammon’s team staring down an 0-2 deficit. Leading that charge was Gray, who scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the period. She was the likely candidate to jumpstart the Aces after her Game 1 dud: four points and assists in 27 minutes of action.
Gray ended the period making a Liberty defender look silly on a crossover leading into a made jumper that helped her team to a 27-22 advantage.
“Vegas are gonna come out and throw a punch but we’ll throw some punches back,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello predicted pregame on Tuesday night.
The coach was right. They did punch back, needed just three minutes to turn the tide — thanks to three quick Kayla Thornton baskets — and regain the lead at the 6:54 mark.
Then on a fast break at 1:15 mark, Breanna Stewart pushed the ball and dished to Thornton who got an and-1 layup on Wilson. After taking a hit from Wilson, Thornton tumbled, flipped and laid on the hardwood before draining the free throw to go up three.
The momentum flipped as well.
The same Gray that put on a show in the first quarter recorded her second turnover in the quarter by losing the ball out of bounds. The Ionescu drained a 24-footer to extend the lead to six.
And the Aces’ best player in Game 1, Plum, capped her awful 1-for-5 shooting period by losing the ball out of bounds, too. Barclays Center erupted with each mistake that helped the Liberty win the second, 24-13. Minutes before halftime, Thornton’s easy drive to the lane forced Hammon to call timeout. The head coach quickly ripped her players, visibly angry at the lack of resistance her team started with.
The scolding didn’t work, and the Liberty entered halftime up, 46-40.
Then came the third period that saw both teams trade buckets. But it was Courtney Vandersloot‘s turn to play the star role. Her stretch in the period showed her effectiveness, even in a reduced reserve role.
She took advantage of a lax defense, rolled to the basket, received a Jonquel Jones passed and finished a wide-open layup. Two minutes later, she sized up Jackie Young on a fast break and blocked her layup attempt at the rim. The veteran put the icing on the cake with a trey that put her team up, 67-58.
The Liberty eventually entered the final period up seven. And they escaped with home-court advantage intact. A sweep would be the sweetest revenge after getting their hearts ripped out on their home floor in 2023.
They’ll go for it Friday night in Las Vegas.