For two years now, the Las Vegas Aces has been the team to beat. However, this year, they do not seem to be finding their feet. Tonight’s game turned out to be a big blast in the Sin City as the New York Liberty, for the second time in a row this season, got the better of the hosts. With the 79-67 win over the 2x champions, they cemented the first spot in the WNBA playoffs for the 19th time. While it is all great for the 2023 WNBA Finalists, it is not much so for A’ja Wilson and Co. Hence, she has one aim after this defeat.

In her postgame presser, A’ja Wilson came determined with an action plan for the rest of the season. Talking about the 12-point defeat, she said, “There’s a lot of good teams in this league and we are one of them. So we have to continue to show that we are one of them and I think just for us it’s a mindset. It’s on me as well. I’m going to come in more focused mindset to hold my teammates accountable and to want it. That’s all we need is to want it and the rest is easy. So, hopefully, we can gain that back tomorrow.”

The New York Liberty continues their winning mentality with a 6-win streak tonight. Overall, they have a 23-4 record in the pocket. As for the Aces, they remain third in the Western Conference and fifth in the league standings. Currently, they are on a 16-9 run.  Certainly, Las Vegas has not been able to clinch many games this season, which heavily contrasts their previous tourneys.

Still, there is a long season remaining, and they still have a fighting chance. Here is how the marquee matchup looked tonight.

Recapping how the Liberty clipped A’ja Wilson and Co.

We saw the two superstars dominate the paint in the Paris Games for two whole weeks. They even led the MVP race, with A’ja Wilson finally taking the award back home. However, that was then, and this is now. From the very beginning, both the teams went head-to-head with the Aces finally surpassing the Liberty in the first quarter. But like the team they are, New York pushed the gas to its full extent and with just 2 minutes remaining in the first quarter, filled the wide gap, ending the first ten minutes with 24-28.

Their defense continued until 8:27 on the game clock in the second quarter when Sabrina Ionescu’s deep three finally helped the Liberty edge past the Aces. That was the last time that Breanna Stewart’s squad looked back. A’ja Wilson’s jumper put Las Vegas back on the scoreboard, bringing the very first points of the second quarter, four minutes into the play. However, the Aces’ fight was simply not enough to advance the Liberty’s wish to win the game.

In the matchup where the hosts only saw one leading moment, A’ja Wilson grabbed 24 points and 11 rebounds. She also aided the team with 3 steals and blocks each. Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray combined for 26 points with Jackie Young posting only 4 points in 32 minutes.

Looks like the Las Vegas Aces have their homework prepped out for them. It will be interesting how A’ja Wilson continues to push her team for wins after this upsetting defeat. As for the Liberty, they have been almost perfect this season and continue to bolster their dominance in the WNBA.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.