LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu had 23 points, Breanna Stewart scored 18 and Jonquel Jones added a double-double as the New York Liberty cruised to a 79-67 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday to up their win streak to six. Ionescu made 9 of 21 shots — 3 of 10 from 3-point range — and grabbed six rebounds as New York (23-4) maintained the best record in the league with its second road win over Las Vegas this season. The Liberty posted a 90-82 win in Las Vegas on June 15 .
The Aces beat the Liberty in last season's Finals to win their second straight championship. Stewart added seven rebounds for New York. Jones scored 10 points and snagged a season-high 17 rebounds.
Leonie Fiebich pitched in with 12 points and seven rebounds. A'ja Wilson finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds to pace Las Vegas (16-9). Kelsey Plum scored 11 of her 13 points in the first quarter.
Chelsea Gray totaled 13 points, six rebounds and six assists. Plum hit all four of her shots — two from 3-point range — to help the Aces take a 28-24 lead after one quarter. Plum's three-point play gave Las Vegas an 11-point lead, but Ionescu hit a jumper and a 3-pointer in the final 39 seconds to cap a 7-0 run and get the Liberty within four.
Ionescu had 12 points in the first 10 minutes. Kayla Thornton hit a turnaround jumper to begin the scoring in the second period and Ionescu followed with a 3-pointer to put the Liberty up 29-28. New York pushed its advantage to eight on an Ionescu floater, but Alysha Clark answered with a basket to get Las Vegas within 42-36 at halftime.
The Aces hit 6 of 7 from beyond the arc to begin the game then missed 11 in a row heading into intermission. New York held Las Vegas to eight points in the second quarter. Clark ended Las Vegas' 3-pointer drought — after 12 straight misses — with 3:52 left in the third quarter to pull the Aces within 50-47.
Kennedy Burke sank a 3-pointer, Ionescu scored off a rebound, and the Liberty held the Aces scoreless over the final 2:04 to build a 59-51 advantage after three quarters. Stewart buried a 3-pointer 41 seconds into the final period to push New York's lead to double digits. Kiah Stokes and Gray made back-to-back 3-pointers and the Aces closed within 67-63 with 6:24 left to play.
Fiebich answered with a 3-pointer, Ionescu sank two free throws, and Thornton connected from beyond the arc as the Liberty upped their lead to 12 with 4:46 remaining and weren't threatened from there. It was the Aces' first game since the league took a month-long break for the Paris Olympics. UP NEXT Las Vegas: Aces will host the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.
New York: Liberty return home to play the Dallas Wings on Tuesday. AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball.
