Sabrina Ionescu sends warning to WNBA after breakout performance in Liberty win over Aces originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Liberty entered Tuesday night’s matchup against the Las Vegas Aces searching for answers. After suffering back-to-back losses to the Washington Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks, the defending champions suddenly found themselves facing questions about consistency heading into the final week of June. Against one of the league’s biggest rivals, they got exactly the response they needed.
Advertisement
And it came from Sabrina Ionescu. The Liberty star recorded her first double-double of the season, helping New York defeat the Aces 87-76 in a matchup that felt like a potential preview of bigger games ahead.
Sabrina Ionescu looks like herself again
Ionescu finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes, marking her best all-around performance of the 2026 season. The outing was particularly encouraging considering the challenges she’s faced this year. Foot and back issues have limited her availability, and Tuesday’s game was just her sixth appearance of the campaign.
Afterward, Ionescu made it clear she feels like she’s turning a corner.
Advertisement
“I’m just better and better every day,” she said. “My body’s feeling better, getting back into the rhythm of playing competitive basketball.”
That should be a concerning development for the rest of the WNBA. A healthy Ionescu gives New York another elite playmaker alongside Breanna Stewart, who led the Liberty with 20 points against Las Vegas.
Liberty bounce back at the perfect time
The victory couldn’t have come at a better moment. New York entered the contest after dropping consecutive games to teams below them in the standings, including a heartbreaking 98-97 loss to the Sparks on Nneka Ogwumike‘s buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Advertisement
Instead of allowing those defeats to snowball, the Liberty responded with one of their most complete efforts of the season.
“Moments like that can either make you or break you,” Ionescu said. “It’s a long season, so for us it was just understanding we’ve got to come together, not let that happen again and continue to grow from it.”
The win improved New York to 12-6 and offered a reminder of why the Liberty remain one of the league’s most dangerous teams when healthy.
MORE: Angel Reese couldn’t contain her excitement after Dream rookie’s career game
A preview of what’s coming next?
The timing of the matchup made it even more intriguing. New York and Las Vegas will meet again on June 30 in the Commissioner’s Cup final, giving Tuesday’s contest an added layer of significance.
Advertisement
The Liberty and Aces have become one of the WNBA’s defining rivalries of the decade. Las Vegas captured championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025, while New York broke through for its first title in 2024. Ionescu acknowledged the respect between the organizations after the game.
“Two of the best organizations in our league,” she said. “They have continued to pave the way in what they’ve done, contending every single year, winning multiple championships.”
The Liberty also accomplished something few teams have managed this season: slowing down A’ja Wilson. The reigning superstar entered the game leading the WNBA in scoring at 25.7 points per game but was held to a season-low 16 points.
Jackie Young led Las Vegas with 19 points, but the Aces never found enough offensive rhythm to overcome New York’s balanced attack. With another showdown looming in less than a week, Tuesday may have been more than just a regular-season victory. It may have been a sign that the Liberty are beginning to find their championship form again at exactly the right time.
Advertisement
