Nearly a year after losing in the waning seconds of Game 4 of the 2023 Finals to the Las Vegas Aces, the New York Liberty earned their chance for revenge. Head coach Sandy Brondello urged the team to use their previous failure as motivation. The success arrived sooner than anticipated, a round earlier than expected. Despite this, the Liberty still aimed for the ultimate prize.
The match was a personal one for New York, as they were eager to respond to what they saw as disrespectful chatter from the Aces after their 2023 win. Although the Liberty have already advanced to the finals, they are adamant that this season will only be considered successful if they win three more games. Regardless, the emotion was evident throughout the team on Sunday when they dethroned the Aces.
Stewart led the Liberty towards victory with a tally of 19 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks. The high-intensity Game 4 was dominated by New York as they successfully kept the Aces at bay before clinching the match in the fourth quarter with a 16-2 run. They finished the game with a 76-62 victory, securing their place in the WNBA Finals for the sixth time.
The defeating of the home team had a great start for New York. After Jackie Young scored a 3-point shot, the Liberty went on a 10-0 run, from which they never looked back. There were instances when the Aces neared, but the New York veterans always thwarted their efforts to take the lead. Each player showed off their skills, with Jones sinking a 3-pointer, Vandersloot driving to the basket, and Stewart’s seemingly unreachable runner.
Las Vegas was spooked all night by the powerful and tactical play of the Liberty. The Aces managed to shoot 21 of 64 from the field, with only 7 successful 3-point shots out of 30 attempts. By the time the Aces were trailing by 14 with just 3:20 left, the home fans had started to leave, while the strong contingent of New York supporters celebrated their ascension to the finals.
Before the series started, Aces had acknowledged the Liberty’s superiority throughout the year. Becky Hammon, coach of the Aces, reiterated the same sentiment after the match. She conceded that New York had outplayed them and earned the victory that they had been gearing up for all season.
