The stars gathered at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn as the Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty faced off against the two-time defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces. Among the most notable attendees was US gymnast Jordan Chiles, fresh off her gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics.
Earlier in the game, Chiles was spotted courtside alongside UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers, both enjoying the action. Ultimately, New York claimed a statement 75-71 victory, fueled by standout performances from Breanna Stewart (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Sabrina Ionescu (14 points, four assists).
Sabrina Ionescu and Jordan Chiles showing mutual admiration for each other
Following the tough win, Ionescu and Chiles met on the court, creating a moment where both stars openly expressed their mutual admiration for one another.
In the video, Chiles is seen kneeling and bowing to Ionescu, who then returns the gesture in a great display of mutual respect between the two Olympic gold medalists. Like Chiles, Ionescu also returned from Paris with a gold medal, having contributed to Team USA's victory in the women’s 5×5 basketball tournament.
Jordan Chiles who was in a bit of controversy with her bronze medal is in New York for Fashion Week, but she made sure to squeeze in some live WNBA action while she was in the area.
The Liberty have been emphasizing all season that they're a different team this year, and on Sunday, they proved it.
The Aces were without A'ja Wilson, who was ruled out due to a right ankle injury sustained in Friday's game against the Connecticut Sun. Wilson, seen in a walking boot, missed her first game since August 3, 2019.
The Liberty squandered a 20-point lead but still managed to secure the win. In previous seasons, they may not have had the resilience to regroup and close out the game like they did this time.
Ionescu boosting the Liberty over the Aces
Ionescu stepped up in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of her 14 points to help the Liberty secure a 75-71 victory on Sunday.
Las Vegas nearly pulled off an upset against New York. After trailing by 20, the Aces scored 18 of the next 19 points to close the gap to 64-61. The Liberty went scoreless from the 1:39 mark of the third quarter until Ionescu's layup at 4:53 in the fourth. The Aces continued to push and tied the game at 68 with Kelsey Plum's 3-pointer at 2:36.
Neither team scored until Ionescu hit a pull-up jumper with 43.6 seconds left, putting New York ahead 72-71. Plum, who finished with 25 points, had a chance to give the Aces the lead, but her layup missed with 28 seconds remaining. Ionescu was fouled and made one of two free throws, pushing the Liberty's lead to 73-71.
Las Vegas had a last chance, but Stewart swatted Jackie Young’s drive. Jonquel Jones clinched the win with two free throws, putting the game out of reach with 2.5 seconds left.
New York maintaining the top spot
This was the first time the teams met in New York since Las Vegas claimed the WNBA championship at Barclays Center last year. Earlier this season, the Liberty had won the first two matchups against the Aces in Las Vegas.
The Liberty stayed three games ahead of Minnesota for the top spot in the WNBA playoffs, with five games remaining in their schedule. Las Vegas, with their loss, stayed in fourth place, holding a one-game lead over Seattle.
The WNBA finals rematch also drew in stars like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Devin Booker and Dawn Staley, who were all in attendance.
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