The New York Liberty trounced the Las Vegas Aces in the teams’ second meeting of the regular season, winning 99-61 on Sunday at Barclays Center. Here’s what you need to know:
- Sabrina Ionescu led the field with 31 points, 23 of them in the first half, on 12-of-19 shooting (6-of-10 from 3-point range). She added seven assists and grabbed five rebounds.
- The Liberty out-rebounded the Aces 48-24.
- Las Vegas beat New York 98-81 in their first meeting on June 29. The teams will play in the Commissioner’s Cup Final on Aug. 15 and then meet twice more in August.
- The Aces still have the best record in the WNBA at 24-3. The Liberty are No. 2 at 22-6.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Ionescu steals the show
In what was billed as a matchup between MVP favorites, the best player on the floor was another Liberty All-Star in Ionescu. The New York guard had one of her worst games of the season in the two teams’ first meeting in June, finishing with seven points and repeatedly getting attacked defensively. Ionescu exceeded that total early in the second quarter en route to a 31-point showing. Her drive game got her going early, but it was the 3-point champion’s success from long range that allowed her team to build some separation in the second quarter.
Ionescu hit five triples in the…
