‘We just didn’t have it’: Aces’ 3-peat hopes end with loss to Liberty

The Aces’ reign ended unceremoniously, with Breanna Stewart snatching the rebound after a missed 3-pointer — the last of many that didn’t go in for the Aces.

Aces coach Becky Hammon described the final moments of the game as “just grasping for straws.”

She called a timeout with a minute left to play, but there was nothing to be done.

The back-to-back WNBA champions lost Game 4 of their semifinal series against the New York Liberty 76-62 on Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena and were eliminated from the playoffs.

“At the end of the day, we just didn’t have it, shooting-wise,” Hammon said. “I think (the Liberty) earned it. They earned it all year.”

With the win, the top-seeded Liberty avenged their 2023 Finals loss and ended the No. 4 Aces’ hopes of winning three consecutive titles.

“This team was put together to take us out, and they did,” Hammon said.

A’ja Wilson had a 19-point, 10-rebound performance for the Aces. Kelsey Plum added 17 points.

Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty with 22 points, while Stewart contributed 19.

Here are three takeaways from the Aces’ final game of the 2024 season:

1. Wilson not discouraged

This was a historic campaign for Wilson, who became the WNBA’s first unanimous MVP since 1997, recorded the league’s first 1,000-point season and set a record for rebounds in a season. She only attempted 13 field goals in Sunday’s season-ending loss.

Hammon became emotional when asked about the most difficult part of the loss, saying that it “hurts” when thinking about what Wilson accomplished this year.

But Wilson came to the podium soon after and said that while she appreciates Hammon’s impact on her career, she doesn’t want anyone feeling bad for her.

“Yeah, the outcome is not what we wanted, but I think we have some things that we can take away from it that we can’t just totally throw out,” Wilson said. “Three-peats are hard. It’s hard as hell. That’s why not a lot have happened. But I think this year really kind of set a tone for us going into the offseason about how we want to handle things.”

2. Liberty motivated

The Aces were limited to 32.8 percent shooting from the field (21-for-64), and 23.3 percent from 3 (7-for-30), a credit to the Liberty’s defense.

New York also adjusted well on the other end, running their offense through Stewart in response to the Aces holding Ionescu to just four points in Game 3 for the Aces’ only win of the series — and their only win against the Liberty all season.

“They’ve made us a better team,” Ionescu said of the Aces. “They’ve laid down the foundation, and they’ve continued to motivate everyone in the league to just want to be better and want to win championships.”

New York will face either the Minnesota Lynx or Connecticut Sun in the Finals. That series will be decided in Game 5 on Tuesday.

Stewart, fighting tears after the win, said Sunday that she “kept receipts” after last year’s Finals loss to the Aces. She shot 3-for-17 in the title-clinching Game 4, and Hammon joked about it during the Aces’ championship parade.

Stewart has since revealed that she was struggling at the time with the death of her father-in-law, Josep Xargay, who had battled cancer. On Sunday, Stewart said the victory closed an emotional series for her and her wife, Marta Xargay, because of the anniversary of his passing.

“It’s part of the game. It’s not like, personal. I can talk about all I want at the end of the day,” Hammon said when asked about her trash talk. “I have mad respect for those players. There’s no doubt about it.”

3. What’s next

Plum is the only member of the Aces’ “Core Four” who isn’t extended through next season. As the team huddled after the final buzzer, she tucked her head down to hide her face as she processed what could have been her final game in the silver, white and black.

Hammon initially declined to answer a question about how the front office should adjust based on this season.

“Obviously we have to get better,” she said. “You gotta make the moves necessary, whatever that means, to put the best product that we possibly can. It’s not going to be the same group probably next year. It just won’t. And I’m sad about that.”

Hammon noted that she’ll probably have more specific insight once she deals with the loss, and will likely provide it during exit interviews, something she’s never done in her three-year tenure with the Aces.

“We’ve only done exit partying,” she said, adding that this offseason the team will be much more focused.

Until then, Wilson and point guard Chelsea Gray intend to take a break from basketball and focus on their personal lives. But Wilson sent a warning shot about her return.

“Come in December and into January, it’s lock-in time,” she said.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.