BREANNA STEWART JUMPED to grab the inbounds pass from Sabrina Ionescu. There were 8.8 seconds left in Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals, and the New York Liberty trailed the Las Vegas Aces by one. Even worse, they were one loss from elimination.
Stewart drove toward the block and spun in the lane as Aces guard Jackie Young stepped forward to double-team her. The reigning MVP kicked the ball out to the wing, her last touch of the 2023 season.
After one more pass, the ball wound up in Courtney Vandersloot‘s hands on the baseline. With 1.7 seconds left, she launched the ball toward the basket. It sailed over the rim. Jonquel Jones grabbed it for a put-back, but the red light gleamed on the backboard and the clock read 0.0. The scoreboard sealed it: Aces 70, Liberty 69. The game was over. The season was over. The championship quest was over.
The Liberty had led by nine at halftime. They were playing a shorthanded team that didn’t have point guard Chelsea Gray, center Kiah Stokes or legend Candace Parker. They were playing on their home court.
The Aces formed a dogpile near the Liberty logo.
“We have a scar as a team,” Vandersloot says 11 months…
