Aces prepare for rematch with Liberty in New York
Game day
Who: Aces vs. New York Liberty
When: 8 a.m. Thursday
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
TV: NBAtv, LVTV-12
About the Aces (16-7): Kelsey Plum scored 27, while Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson both added 23 points Tuesday as the Aces hung on to a 107-101 win in the first of two consecutive games against the Liberty. The Aces also got six points from reserve guard Riquna Williams, while reserve forward Kiah Stokes was plus-12 in almost nine minutes, leading all players.
However, poor third- and fourth-quarter defense allowed the Liberty to storm back into the game despite the Aces 24-point lead at halftime.
About the Liberty (9-14): All-Star Sabrina Ionescu only scored five in the first half, but finished with 27 points after finding her rhythm in the fourth quarter. Natasha Howard also added 20 points and 11 rebounds. New York also received a huge boost from reserve guard Sami Whitcomb, whose 15-point third quarter ignited the Liberty offense. She finished with 17 points. Ionescu, Howard and Whitcomb were the only New York players in double figures.
Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.