Aces close out Liberty for 2nd straight WNBA title

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK — The Las Vegas Aces became the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back WNBA championships, getting 24 points and 16 rebounds from A’ja Wilson and a defensive stop in the closing seconds to beat the New York Liberty, 70-69, in Game 4 of the Finals on Wednesday night.

The Aces joined the Sparks (2001-02) and the Houston Comets (1997-2000) as the only teams in league history to win consecutive titles.

Las Vegas did it without starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes, who were both sidelined with foot injuries suffered in Game 3. Gray, the 2022 WNBA Finals MVP, was constantly in the ear of her teammates during timeouts and shouting encouragement from the sideline. Las Vegas was also still missing veteran Candace Parker, who had foot surgery in late July.

“We’ve been facing adversity all season, playing without different players. … We have some professional fighters,” said Alysha Clark, who was pressed into the starting lineup Wednesday. “To weather the storm of everything we went through, to show up every single day. To be in this moment right now and do it together, it speaks volumes about us, our chemistry.”

Wilson won Finals MVP honors this year after finishing third in the regular-season MVP balloting.

With the score tied at 64, Jackie Young scored four straight points to give the Aces a 68-64 advantage with 2:04 left.

New York’s Breanna Stewart got an open look from 3-point range but the shot rimmed out. Wilson then hit a tough turnaround shot with 1:26 left to give the Aces a 70-64 advantage.

Courtney Vandersloot hit a 3-pointer on New York’s next possession, then stole the ball from Kelsey Plum, which led to Sabrina Ionescu’s foul-line jumper to get the Liberty within one with 41.7 left.

On the ensuing possession, Las Vegas worked the shot clock down before coach Becky Hammon called timeout with three seconds left on the shot clock. The Aces got the ball to Wilson on a lob, but Stewart blocked the shot, giving New York one last chance.

After a timeout with 8.8 seconds left, the Liberty got the ball to Stewart, who was double-teamed. The ball swung over to Vandersloot in the corner, but her shot missed badly, setting off a wild celebration by the Aces at midcourt.

Vandersloot finished with 19 points and Betnijah Laney added 15 for New York.

Hammon said before the game she would be “throwing the kitchen sink at (the Liberty), see what sticks, see what works.”

The Aces rotated defenses, which stymied New York after the Liberty scored 23 points in the first quarter. Hammon started WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Alysha Clark and Cayla George in place of Gray and Stokes. Clark did a stellar job on her former Seattle Storm teammate Stewart, holding her to 10 points on 3-of-17 shooting. George had 11 points.

“Just knowing what she likes to do. And just locking in and making sure that I don’t give that to her,” Clark said of guarding Stewart. “I’m so proud of this team.”

This was the first close game of the season between these teams. The four regular-season matchups were all blowouts with the closest contest being a nine-point win by New York on Aug. 28. The first three games of the WNBA Finals were also routs, with New York winning Game 3, 87-73, to stave off elimination.

Game 4 was so tense that Ionescu was seen vomiting into a trash can during a timeout midway through the fourth quarter, shortly after she hit a 3-pointer to get the Liberty within 60-58. Ionescu returned to the court after the timeout.

More to come on this story.