The New York Liberty’s quest to redeem its Finals campaign seems in place. Sabrina Ionescu and Co. toppled the back-to-back champions on their home turf to secure an 8th consecutive victory. The night brought the best out of their No.35 Jonquel Jones who delivered a career-high 34 points. However, the 30-year-old opines that her individual brilliance has a lot to do with the current state of the team, something that Las Vegas Aces could not do owing to its trust issues.

Some glad and content Liberty faces were present at the media interaction after their gritty win over the Aces. Head coach Sandy Brondello along with Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones evaluated the team’s successful endeavour against their 2023 finalists. This is where one question was directed toward the improved chemistry and unity that was there on the floor. Subsequently, she replied in the post-game press conference, “I think it was the trust. I think we trusted each other to make the right plays. To do what they’re really good at. We all did that tonight.” 

The comparisons in the team’s stats clearly reflected the aforementioned point that Jones is referring to. Evidently, New York turned out to be the better team as their efficiency from the field was better by 3.6% against the hosts. It was even better from beyond the arc 42.9% accurate in response to the Aces’ 32.4%. Besides this, 4 out of the five Liberty starters ended their night on double-digits.

However, the display of similar trust was missing from the Las Vegas Aces who have lost 4 out of the last 5 games they have played. This is something that their head coach Becky Hammon has been vocal about as well along with the weak defense that the Aces have put forth. She said, “We’re a fun group, but losing sucks. We got to put the work first. The trust, I’m not quite sure why the trust isn’t there. But that’s something we know we can fix and work on. We know each other well. We’ve been through battles.”

Moving on, there were 2 Liberty ballers who registered an impressive double-double. One of them being the 2× WNBA All-Star.

Sabrina Ionescu gets the ball rolling

The point guard was in full flow in front of the 10,424 people at the Michelob ULTRA Arena. Her 34 minutes on the hardwood resulted in her garnering 15 points and 12 assists along with 3 rebounds and 1 steal.

Moreover, Sabrina Ionescu was 5 of 14 while shooting from the field and 2 of 6 from the three-point range. A similar story was there from the free throw line as she connected 3 out of her 4 attempts.

The win speaks volumes of New York’s current form in the WNBA at the moment. Apart from their disappointments against the Lynx and the Sky, the franchise has been a dominant force in the competition. Consequently, this cements their contention for this year’s championships. Will they be able to one step further this time around? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.