LAS VEGAS (June 14, 2024)—The Las Vegas Aces (6-5) and New York Liberty (11-2) renew their rivalry this Saturday at 12:00 pm PT on ABC. It is the first meeting between the clubs since the 2023 “super teams” squared off against one another in the WNBA Finals. The Aces won their second consecutive league championship in a four-game win over the Lib last October, despite being without Chelsea Gray, Candace Parker and Kiah Stokes in the decisive Game 4.
The Aces snapped a three-game losing streak Thursday with a 103-99 come-from-behind road win over the Phoenix Mercury (box score/recap). Jackie Young scored a career-high 34 points, including a franchise-record 21 points in the second quarter, which saw Las Vegas erase a 16-point deficit. Aja Wilson added to her early-season M’VP case by scoring 32 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the victory, setting and extending a number of WNBA records in the process.
- Most consecutive 20+ points games—15
- Most consecutive 25+ point games—8
- Most points scored in the first 11 games of the season—315
Wilson is also on pace to shatter the league scoring record (28.6 ppg), and become just the fourth player in league history to average 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in the same season. The 5-time All-Star leads the WNBA in rebounding (11.7 rpg), ranking 3rd in blocked shots (2.64 bpg), 6th in steals (1.82 spg), 5th in 3-point field goal percentage (.467), and 8th in field goal percentage (.514).
Young’s 34-point effort against the Mercury ended a mini-slump for the two-time All-Star. She battled an illness for the previous 3 games which saw her pick up a DNP in one while going 4 for 20 from the field, and 1 for 10 from 3-point range in the other two. Young tied a franchise record in the Phoenix game by connecting on 7 3-pointers, and the Aces set a league mark for most 3s in a quarter connecting on a perfect 10 for 10 in the second stanza against the Merc.
Las Vegas scored a season-high 103 points against Phoenix, upping the team’s Offensive Efficiency Rating on the season to 106.0—second best in the league. The Aces turn the ball over less than any team in the league, and also lead the W in free throw percentage (.854)
The Liberty are riding a 7-game winning streak heading into the weekend following a 93-88 win over Washington on June 9. That streak also includes an 82-75 road win over Connecticut, handing the Sun their first defeat of the season.
Breanna Stewart leads New York in scoring (18.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg), but she is shooting an uncharacteristically-low 18.2 percent from beyond the arc in 2024. Sabrina Ionescu (17.8 ppg), Jonquel Jones (15.5 ppg) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (12.2 ppg) are also scoring in double figures this season, helping the Liberty to the top-ranked offense in the league (106.7 OER).
New York also boasts the 4th best defense in the W, allowing teams to score just 94.1 points per 100 possessions on the year. The Lib send opponents to the free throw line less often than any team in the league, while ranking 3rd in defensive rebound percentage (.722).
Las Vegas is 32-28 all-time against New York.