The New York Liberty took down the Las Vegas Aces 82-63 in the WNBA’s third annual Commissioner’s Cup at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Liberty forward Jonquel Jones was named MVP after contributing 16 points and 15 rebounds.
- Marine Johannes led the Liberty with 17 points while Jackie Young was the Aces’ leading scorer with 16 points.
- The season series between these teams is currently tied 1-1. The Liberty recently trounced the Aces in the second meeting of the regular season, winning 99-61 on Aug. 6.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Liberty flex their bench advantage
The Aces overwhelm most teams with the strength of their starting lineup, which boasts four multi-time All-Stars. However, the Liberty can match that firepower in their first five, and they had the edge on Las Vegas by being able to bring meaningful offensive production off the bench. While Alysha Clark and Kierstan Bell combined for four points for the Aces, New York got 25 points out of Johannes and Kayla Thornton, including a pair of Thornton 3-pointers at the end of the third quarter that pushed the lead to eight. The Aces never got closer than that for the rest of the game. — Merchant
Aces still can’t score on the Liberty
After putting together a…
