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The Las Vegas Aces are facing potential elimination from the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2021 after falling 88-84 to the New York Liberty in Game 2 of their semifinal series on Tuesday at Barclays Center. As in Game 1, the Liberty’s size proved problematic for the Aces, and their defensive anchor, Kiah Stokes, has been ruled out for Friday's game.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon adjusted the starting lineup, swapping 6-foot-3 center Kiah Stokes for 5-foot-11 veteran forward Alysha Clark.
The Aces with depleted front line with Kiah Stokes out due to a concussion
Stokes exited the game with 9.5 seconds left in the third quarter after colliding heads with Liberty center Jonquel Jones. Following what the Aces described as a “potential concussion,” Stokes left the game and did not return.
Breaking: Kiah Stokes will miss Game 3 vs. the Liberty on Friday with a concussion, the Aces announced. pic.twitter.com/T1GzWk4GO2
— espnW (@espnW) October 3, 2024
Clark stepped up with 13 points, but the Liberty dominated the Aces in the paint, outscoring them 44-24 and outrebounding them 35-29. This marked the second time in the series that Hammon kept 6-foot-4 centers Megan Gustafson and Queen Egbo on the bench.
The Aces center’s injury dealt a major blow to a team already having trouble containing the Liberty’s high-powered offense. Though Hammon had initially hoped for her return, those expectations are now gone. With two key players sidelined, the Aces’ head coach is left scrambling to adjust the defense.
Las Vegas certainly delivered a dramatic performance on Tuesday, jumping out to an eight-point lead in the first quarter before trailing by 10 in the third. They managed to tie the game at 81 with just 1:31 left, thanks to an Alysha Clark 3-pointer.
The Aces then had an opportunity to tie or take the lead, down 84-82 with 10.1 seconds remaining. However, they lost possession due to an out-of-bounds call on an inbounds pass that the Liberty successfully challenged. New York sealed the victory at the free-throw line.
Three-time MVP A'ja Wilson led the Aces in Game 2 with 24 points and seven rebounds.
Sabrina Ionescu scored 24 points for the Liberty, with 11 of those coming in the crucial fourth quarter.
Las Vegas' continuing struggles against the New York Liberty
No team in WNBA history has rallied from a 0-2 hole and no team has captured three straight championships since the Houston Comets won the league's first four titles from 1997 to 2000 — a record the Aces aim to equal.
This was the Aces' fifth straight defeat against the Liberty this season, but a determined Hammon highlighted that the Aces are not giving up just yet.
“We have neither lost nor won a championship. Nothing has been won tonight,” the Aces head coach stressed. “Let there be no doubt, we’re in for a war.”
Hammon described the number of layups the Aces allowed the Liberty as “obscene.” She had already expressed her frustration with the Aces' interior defense early in the second quarter, calling two timeouts in under a minute as the Liberty closed in on the Aces' 27-26 lead.
In Game 1, the Aces allowed Breanna Stewart to score 20 points in the first half, but they managed to hold her to 15 points on Tuesday.
The Aces had a stronger start offensively too in Game 2, taking a 27-22 lead after the first quarter, primarily thanks to Gray’s 10 points during that time. This was a significant improvement from Gray’s four points in Game 1.
Despite some minor improvements, Hammon remained fixated on the Aces allowing 20 points off turnovers, most of which happened in the first half. While the team also committed 21 fouls, she emphasized the need for better ball security, asserting that her frustration wasn't directed at the referees or the Liberty but rather at the Aces themselves for being their own worst enemy.
With the back-to-back champions trailing 2-0 in the best-of-five series, Game 3 is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday at Michelob Ultra Arena.
