It will be a tale of two teams on Saturday when the Las Vegas Aces (6-5) host the New York Liberty (11-2) at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
Beginning last season, Liberty-Aces has been THE premier matchup. But, this is the first time in a while that both teams don’t come in looking like the WNBA’s cream of the crop. The Liberty have started great, per usual, and enter the matchup having won seven in a row, including every Commissioner’s Cup game. The Aces, on the other hand, are 6-5 and drowning in mediocrity.
How the Aces can win
Championship fatigue and the absence of starting point guard Chelsea Gray are the main justifications the Aces can cite for why they’ve struggled so much to start this season.
However, the proof is in the record, and so far, this iteration of the Aces looks beatable. They can still beat a talented New York team, but to do so, they’ll need big games from their two stars: A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young.
Wilson is averaging a league-leading 28.6 points per game, and Young isn’t far behind, scoring 18.6 along with a team-leading 6.4 assists per game. If those two produce below their season averages, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to beat the Liberty due to New York’s well-balanced firepower.
Maybe Gray, who has yet to play this season and is listed as questionable for Saturday, will slot everyone into their perfect spots when she returns. Las Vegas could then look dominant once again, but for now, the alarm bells are ringing even if the panic button isn’t getting pressed.
How the Liberty can win
Everything is going New York’s way this year, so Saturday’s showdown is about not messing up their momentum and making sure they can come out of Vegas a winner.
This team is stacked with four starters averaging double figures, and the only one not doing so is Courtney Vandersloot, who is averaging 7.6 points while adding in 5.3 assists per game, but is doubtful to play in this contest due to personal reasons. If Vandersloot isn’t available, Sabrina Ionescu will be even more important for the Liberty. If she can dominate on the perimeter and make the Aces defenders work all 40 minutes to keep up with her, that could be the deciding factor between a win and a loss.
The Liberty certainly have a good offense, but the Aces are leading the league in scoring, averaging 87.3 points per game. Defense will be the key, as you don’t want to get into a scoring contest versus the Aces in Las Vegas.
Game information
Las Vegas Aces (6-5) vs. New York Liberty (11-2)
When: Saturday, June 15 at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ABC
Aces injury report: Kierstan Bell (out; leg), Chelsea Gray (questionable; leg)
Liberty injury report: Courtney Vandersloot (doubtful; personal ), Nyara Sabally (out; back)