SABRINA IONESCU, LIBERTY PULL AWAY FROM ACES AFTER A’JA WILSON INJURY
Sabrina Ionescu posted 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as the New York Liberty — helped by the injury absence of Aces star A’ja Wilson — rallied to defeat visiting Las Vegas 87-78 on Tuesday night.
Wilson, a three-time WNBA MVP, was injured with 4:13 left in the second quarter. She drove to the left of the hoop and was fouled by Leonie Fiebich. In trying to break her fall, Wilson injured her right wrist and did not return for the second half.
She finished with just two points and four rebounds.
Kennedy Burke and Ionescu pulled off back-to-back three-point plays to cap a 10-0 run that let the Liberty flip a two-point deficit into an 80-72 lead in the closing minutes.
The Aces got a team-high 19 points from Jackie Young and 16 from reserve Dana Evans.
New York received 15 points apiece from Breanna Stewart and Fiebich. Stewart added seven rebounds and five assists. Fiebich had nine rebounds and three blocks — both game highs.
For Ionescu, it was her third straight game with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The game was a battle between the two most recent league champions. Las Vegas won WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023. New York won its first championship last season.
New York (13-6) has won six straight regular-season games against Las Vegas. Despite the win, the Liberty are just 4-6 over their past 10 games.
Las Vegas (9-10), relative to its pedigree, has struggled all season and dropped three of its past five.
New York led 19-16 after one quarter, but Las Vegas went into halftime on top, 42-40. Young made a layup with one second on the clock for the narrow lead.
The Liberty used a 10-2 run to pull ahead at the end of three quarters, 62-60, and New York carried on that momentum in the fourth.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well. New York shot 42.9 percent from the floor, including 7-of-27 on 3-pointers (25.9 percent). Las Vegas made 41.0 percent, including 7-of-26 on 3-pointers (26.9 percent).
But the Liberty found an advantage on fastbreak points (17-7) as well as paint points (38-32).
–Field Level Media
ACES STAR A’JA WILSON (WRIST) KNOCKED OUT OF GAME VS. LIBERTY
The Las Vegas Aces ruled out reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson for the rest of their game Tuesday at the New York Liberty due to a right wrist injury.
Wilson was hurt on a play late in the second quarter when she drew a foul going to the basket and landed hard on both her hands.
Wilson, 28, did not return to start the second half, with Kierstan Bell starting the half in her place.
The 2020, 2022 and 2024 league MVP and two-time Defensive Player of the Year was averaging 21.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.8 steals per game through her first 15 games before Tuesday’s rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals.
She recorded two points, four rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes before her injury.
–Field Level Media
WNBA ALL-STAR DRAFT: CAITLIN CLARK, NAPHEESA COLLIER TRADE COACHES
Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier were encouraged to negotiate some trades immediately after their WNBA All-Star draft on Tuesday night. Instead, they swapped their head coaches.
Clark, as the leading vote-getter, was assigned Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx. Collier, Clark’s rival captain and the Lynx’s star player, was assigned New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello.
Now, in what appeared to be Clark’s initial suggestion, Brondello will coach Team Clark and Reeve will coach Team Collier in the All-Star Game on July 19 in Indianapolis.
Clark said on the ESPN broadcast that she and Collier had previously discussed the idea of trading coaches, but that she didn’t know if it was in the rules to do so.
“I agree with the trade. I love Cheryl, she’s my coach here,” Collier said. “And you know what, that’s just going be worse for Team Clark because now we got more chemistry on our side, we’ve got more synergy, we know what we expect from each other. So that was a bad move on your part, Caitlin, and we’re taking you down.”
Clark reminded Collier that Brondello is the defending league champion. Brondello’s Liberty beat Collier and Reeve’s Lynx in the WNBA Finals last fall.
There could be more to the trade than reuniting the Minnesota coach and star. In Reeve’s role as head coach of Team USA, she decided not to pick Clark for the 2024 Summer Olympics team that went on to win gold. Reeve had previously taken a shot at the WNBA for putting Clark at the center of its national TV strategy, at one point posting a tweet with the hashtags #12teams and #theWismorethanoneplayer.
Team Clark’s starting five features Aliyah Boston, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson and Satou Sabally. Team Collier will have Breanna Stewart, Allisha Gray, Nneka Ogwumike and rookie Paige Bueckers on the floor to start the game.
Clark used the first pick of the draft on Fever teammate Boston, ensuring the home fans in Indianapolis will be able to cheer for both on the same team. Clark later spent her first reserve pick on Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, as well.
Collier’s first starter selected was Stewart, the two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star.
Clark drafted Stewart’s Liberty teammate, Ionescu, and Collier added Gray from the Atlanta Dream, leaving Clark to snag three-time MVP Wilson in her seventh All-Star appearance.
Collier said she hoped her fellow UConn Huskie Bueckers would still be available at the end of the round as she chose Seattle’s Ogwumike next, leaving Clark to tease her for telegraphing her next move. But rather than steal Bueckers, Clark chose Sabally, who is having a career year in her first season with the Mercury.
Collier picked Clark’s college rival Angel Reese with her team’s third pick of the reserves round.
As for player trades, Clark and Collier tossed some ideas around but ultimately decided they wanted to stick with the teams they had drafted.
The full teams are as follows:
Team Clark starters
Caitlin Clark (Indiana)
Aliyah Boston (Indiana)
Sabrina Ionescu (New York)
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas)
Satou Sabally (Phoenix)
Team Clark reserves
Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana)
Gabby Williams (Seattle)
Sonia Citron (Washington)
Kiki Iriafen (Washington)
Jackie Young (Las Vegas)
Kayla Thornton (Golden State)
Team Collier starters
Napheesa Collier (Minnesota)
Breanna Stewart (New York)
Allisha Gray (Atlanta)
Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle)
Paige Bueckers (Dallas)
Team Collier reserves
Courtney Williams (Minnesota)
Skylar Diggins (Seattle)
Angel Reese (Chicago)
Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix)
Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles)
Rhyne Howard (Atlanta)
–Field Level Media
