Aces blow out Liberty, close in on 2nd straight WNBA title

Becky Hammon is rarely left speechless. The Aces coach is happy to rave or critique her players, expound on basketball philosophy or voice her displeasure at the lack of defensive three seconds in the paint calls.

But on Wednesday night, Hammon’s words eluded her as she tried to describe her team’s performance. Twice.

“They’re the real deal,” Hammon finally said. “I could go down the whole list — their competitiveness, their fight for each other — they’re a real team.”

Big first and third quarters helped the top-seeded Aces romp to a 104-76 win over the No. 2 New York Liberty in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,232 at Michelob Ultra Arena.

The Aces can secure a series sweep Sunday in Game 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and become the first team to repeat as champions since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002.

Forward A’ja Wilson scored 26 points, hitting 10 of 16 shots, to lead all scorers. She also had 15 rebounds, three assists and one block. Wing Jackie Young added 24 points, and guard Kelsey Plum scored 23 while making five 3s.

The Aces are the first team to shoot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent on 3-pointers in two consecutive finals games, according to ESPN stats and information. The final score was tied for the fifth-largest margin of victory in a finals game.

Center Jonquel Jones scored 22 points to lead the Liberty. New York shot 36.1 percent from the field and 22.9 percent on 3s.

“We push ourselves to the limit in the offseason to prepare us for moments like this,” Wilson said. “It’s moments we don’t take for granted, but also we have the understanding that this is why we work so hard. This is why we are in the situation that we’re in.

“We’re grateful, but we know how hard and what it took for us to get here, and we don’t let that moment get by.”

The Aces started the game making shots at an almost unbelievable pace. They scored 38 points, a record for points in the first quarter of a finals, on 70 percent shooting. All five starters made a 3, led by two from center Kiah Stokes. It’s the first time she has hit multiple 3s since joining the Aces in 2021.

Stokes wasn’t the only player who started the game hot for the Aces. Wilson scored 12 in the first quarter and Plum nine. The Aces had assists on 12 of 14 field goals, went 6 of 10 on 3s and committed only one turnover.

The offense was a symphony of ball movement, cutting and open shots during the first quarter. A trademark Chelsea Gray midrange jumper with two seconds remaining capped the record-breaking performance. Gray finished with 14 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

But the Liberty rallied. Jones had a massive second quarter, scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds, six on offense, to help the Liberty cut the deficit to 52-44 at halftime.

While Jones slowly chipped away at the deficit, the Aces’ offense stalled out. They were outscored 25-14 in the second quarter and committed four turnovers that New York converted into six points.

New York then wilted in the third quarter, shooting 31.2 percent and getting outscored 28-13. Its backcourt also struggled for the second consecutive game. Sabrina Ionescu scored 10 points and Courtney Vandersloot nine, and they combined to shoot just 5 of 19.

“They executed defensively, offensively, shared it, everything we’ve been asking them to do,” Hammon said of her team.

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on X.