Coach Sandy Brondello and Sabrina Ionescu look for a little relief from the officials during a heartbreaking Game 4 loss at Barclays Center Wednesday.
Photos: Frank Franklin II/AP
The New York Liberty know exactly what it takes to win a WNBA title.
Unfortunately for Brooklynites, they had to learn that sobering lesson from the back-to-back champion Las Vegas Aces.
The short-handed but resilient Aces got 24 points and 16 rebounds from Finals Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson en route to a scintillating 70-69 Game 4 victory over the stunned Liberty in front of 16,851 disappointed fans at Downtown’s Barclays Center.
“We fought through so much adversity throughout the season and we came out on top,” Wilson beamed at midcourt after leading Vegas to the first consecutive championships in the WNBA since the Los Angeles Sparks accomplished the feat in 2001-02.
The Houston Comets won four straight titles from 1997 to 2000, with three of those triumphs coming against the Liberty, who are still seeking their first crown since entering the league during its inaugural 1997 season.
Vegas starting point guard Chelsea Gray and center Kiah Stokes were forced to watch from courtside with foot injuries while Wilson went 11-of-21 from the field, picked up a steal and blocked a shot in 39 minutes on the floor.
Down by as many as 12 points in the second half, the Aces used an 18-5 run to close out the third quarter, taking a 53-51 lead into the fourth.
Jonquel Jones’ layup with 2:44 to play got New York even at 64-64, but Jackie Young answered with a quick basket for the defending champions and added two free throws before Wilson sank an eight-foot turnaround to give Vegas a 70-64 cushion with 1:27 remaining.
Bloodied but unbowed, the Liberty fought tooth and nail down the stretch to pull this one out.
Courtney Vandersloot drilled…
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