WNBA playoffs: Liberty knocks out Aces; Sun forces Game 5 win Lynx

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu didn’t take long to make a quick statement that what transpired not even 48 hours earlier would not happen again.

But she and her Liberty teammates had an even larger message to deliver.

Ionescu rebounded from a rare off game to score 22 points, and nearly a year after the Aces ended the Liberty’s dream of a championship, New York returned the favor Sunday afternoon by defeating Las Vegas 76-62 to advance to the WNBA Finals.

The top-seeded Liberty will have home-court advantage in the championship series and will face either the Connecticut Sun or Minnesota Lynx, who will play Game 5 on Tuesday. This is the Liberty’s sixth trip to the finals, but the franchise is still seeking its first title.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” said New York’s Breanna Stewart, who had 19 points and 14 rebounds. “This was a tough series, an emotional series for a number of different reasons. But we’re going to the finals and we’re hosting Game 1 and Game 2. We’re ready to go. Just the feeling of not (being) satisfied.”

New York lost in four games to the shorthanded Aces on Oct. 18, 2023, and turned the painful defeat into a mission. The Liberty have been the league’s best team this season and, including the playoffs, went 6-1 against Las Vegas.

Ionescu said the Aces “made us a better team,” and she made it clear she respects how difficult it was for Las Vegas to win back-to-back titles. But, no doubt, the Aces fueled New York’s drive by how they celebrated after last season, with coach Becky Hammon even taking a shot during the victory parade at Stewart going 3 for 17 in the final game.

“We talked our crap, they heard and they get to talk their crap,” Hammon said Sunday. “It’s part of the game. It’s not personal. I can talk crap all I want. At the end of the day, I have mad respect for (coach) Sandy (Brondello). Sandy coached me. Me and Sandy go way back. Sab, Stewie, I have mad respect for those players. I think Stewie is phenomenal.”

The Aces, whose record 12-game home playoff winning streak ended, were hoping to make more WNBA history. Last year, they became the first team since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02 to win back-to-back titles and were trying to become the first club to capture three successive championships since the Houston Comets took four straight in 1997-2000.

“It’s hard,” said A’ja Wilson, who led the Aces with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. “Everybody wants to beat you. You’re everybody’s Super Bowl. (The loss) sucks, it stings, but I’m very proud about the group that we had.”

In addition to Ionescu and Stewart, Jonquel Jones scored 14 points despite being in foul trouble most of the game and Leonie Fiebich finished with 11 points.

For Las Vegas, Kelsey Plum (17 points) and Tiffany Hayes (11) joined Wilson in scoring in double figures.

The Aces couldn’t contend with a Liberty front line that dominated inside, outrebounding Las Vegas 48-27. Aces center Kiah Stokes missed her second game in a row because of a concussion.

Ionescu showed almost right away this wouldn’t be a repeat of Game 3 for her. She averaged 24.5 points in the playoffs entering that game, but was held to four points on 1-of-7 shooting Friday night. She didn’t score until the fourth quarter.

This time, Ionescu needed just 3:04 to get on the scoreboard when she nailed a corned 3-pointer. She finished the first quarter with 12 points, making all four shots that included three 3s.

The Liberty led by just two points entering the fourth quarter but then outscored Las Vegas 23-11 in the final period to pull away.

The Aces made just 32.8% shots for the game that included going 7 of 30 from the 3-point line.

“To hold Vegas to 24 points in the second half is pretty impressive,” Brondello said.

And now, unlike last year, it’s the Liberty walking off the opposing floor with plenty to celebrate.

“It was really nice to see how we stuck together,” Ionescu said. “Obviously, we had a kind of rough game last game and it can go one of two ways. … We came out here and understood we wanted to be our best and get this done because we deserve that.”

Sun 92, Lynx 82

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — With the season on the line, Alyssa Thomas and Ty Harris helped Connecticut force a decisive Game 5.

Thomas had 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds to help the Sun stave off elimination and beat the Minnesota Lynx 92-82 on Sunday in their semifinal series. The victory set up a winner-take-all fifth game Tuesday night in Minnesota.

“Both of these, franchises have been here, right? We have a lot of players on our roster that have been here that understand certainly what it takes and tonight’s effort is not going to be good enough,” Connecticut coach Stephanie White said.

“We expect them to make adjustments. We’ll make some tweaks and adjustments as well. … It’s about players making plays. It’s about the extra efforts, the hustle plays. It’s about not being denied and finding something deep inside of you that just allows you to come out on top.”

The winner will face the Liberty in the WNBA Finals that start Thursday in New York. The Lynx and the Liberty already met for a championship this season with Minnesota beating New York for the Commissioner’s Cup title.

Harris was inserted back into the starting lineup for the first time since injuring her ankle in Game 1 in the opening round series against Indiana. She responded with 20 points to lead the Sun, who now will try to return to the Finals for the third time in six seasons. The Sun still are looking for the franchise’s first WNBA championship.

White said she let Harris know at shootaround in the morning. She only played about seven minutes in Games 2 and 3, but was able to play 30 on Sunday and was a difference maker.

“Stay composed, be poised and be ready when your number is called,” said Harris, who was scoreless in her limited minutes in Games 2 and 3.

Napheesa Collier did what she could to try to get Minnesota the win, finishing with 29 points and 13 rebounds.

“We’re not happy with, you know, how we came out the last two games. Our offense was able to lift us up last game, but if that’s not working, we have to rely on our defense,” Collier said. “It’s not been good last two games. So we have to go home and defend our home court. We’re both playing for our lives, so we have to play at that level of intensity.”

Minnesota is trying to get back to the Finals for the first time since the 2017 season. That year, the Lynx won their fourth championship in a span of seven years.

The Sun rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit behind Thomas and Harris. The game was tied at 61 before the Sun scored seven of the final nine points of the third quarter to go up 68-63 heading into the fourth.

Harris’ 3-pointer with 5:48 left made it a 10-point game and quashed any hopes the Lynx had of finishing off the series Sunday. Minnesota was only able to get within eight the rest of the way.

“Typical AT, she’s a stat stuffer, steps up in big moments,” White said. “Put the ball in her hands a lot. made plays for herself and others. We ask her to do a lot for us on both ends of the floor. We got a lot from her and continue to need to get a lot from everybody moving forward.”

Collier helped the Lynx build a seven-point lead after one quarter and Minnesota was up 47-41 when DiJonai Carrington stole the ball from Natisha Hiedeman and took it in for a layup. Hiedeman answered by hitting a 3-pointer from just inside halfcourt right before the buzzer to give the Lynx a 50-43 lead at the break. Collier finished the first half with 14 points and Hiedeman had 12 against her former team.