Throughout the 2023 WNBA season, it seemed like the New York Liberty are destined for a collision course against the Las Vegas Aces, two teams that tower above the rest of the league. The Liberty and Aces have the two best records in the league, with the defending champion Aces dominating the opposition with a 34-6 record.

Nevertheless, Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu acknowledged that the road to winning a championship isn't easy, and if the Aces stand in the way of their ultimate goal, they'll have no choice but to try and overcome them. At the very least, they have the blueprint to defeat the Aces, as they claimed the WNBA Commissioner's Cup after an 82-63 win over them in mid-August.

“Obviously, [the Aces] are the team to beat. They're the best team in the league. They've won a championship so we know what we're chasing and, but also understanding — it starts with us. … [And] understanding that they've set the standard of domiinance. They come in every single game and they take care of business,” Ionescu told JJ Redick on The Old Man & The Three.

“Being able to [beat them] in the Commissioner's Cup, you know, kind of left a statement.”

Even then, the Liberty star knows better than to take anything for granted. She knows that they must not lose sight of what they must do in their pursuit of the Aces.

“There's a lot of teams that we're going to have to beat in order to get to the championship game whether that's them or not,” Ionescu added. [But] we want to take down the best team and that's been the [Aces]. … Now, we're about a week and a half from the playoffs… hopefully we can win the first 2 rounds [of the Playoffs] and see them or whoever it is in the Championship.”

Sabrina Ionescu and the Liberty will kick off their 2023 playoff run on September 15, when they take on the Washington Mystics at home in a three-game series. The Mystics didn't exactly have a solid season, finishing below .500 at 19-21, so the Liberty should handily take care of business provided they avoid any unprecedented slip-ups.