Aces Left Gasping in Final Minutes, as Kelsey Plum’s Act Proves Costly Against Sabrina Ionescu’s WNBA Team

The Las Vegas Aces faced a tough loss against the New York Liberty on August 29, 2023, with the final score being 94-85 in favor of the Liberty. The game was intense and closely contested, with both teams fighting hard for the win. Both the teams are easily the title contenders. But the last few matches have been shaky for the Aces. Liberty had won four games in a row, while the Aces had lost two of their last three games. So naturally, the aces were looking forward to winning the next game.

However, in the last minutes of the game, the Aces were left gasping as one of their key players, Kelsey Plum, fouled out with only 9 points and 3 minutes left in the game.

Kelsey Plum’s act proves costly against Ionescu’s win

Plum’s early exit due to fouling out likely impacted the Aces’ performance in the last minutes of the game. The Aces lost the game, with A’ja Wilson contributing 21 points, Kelsey Plum with 18 points, and Jackie Young with 16 points.

They were left gasping as Ionescu orchestrated plays with precision. Her stellar performance in those final minutes stole the victory for them. As the clock wound down, it was clear Kelsey Plum’s absence had shifted the momentum in favor of Sabrina Ionescu and her teammates.

Forward Breanna Stewart had a game-high 38 points. Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot had 35 points each for the Liberty. Playing as a wing, Betnijah Laney added 36 points.

Aces Left Gasping in Final Minutes

The Aces were leading by nine points late in the first quarter in a game with playoff implications. But then disaster struck. The Liberty ended the quarter on a 15-3 run en route to a 94-85 victory before a crowd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

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The Aces have been struggling this season, and this loss was their third in their last four away games. They are still in first place in the Western Conference, but it’s still a long run to the deep run in the playoffs. This is the first time they have lost back-to-back games since August 4, 2022.

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Aces vs. Liberty will now face each other again on September 16th, 2023, at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.