Sabrina Ionescu and the Liberty had their way with league-best Las Vegas earlier his month at Downtown’s Barclays Center. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty
Sabrina Ionescu knows this isn’t the ultimate prize.
But for the New York Liberty, it could be the first championship hardware in an otherwise empty case.
“The most important trophy won’t be won tomorrow,” the All-Star point guard reminded the media Monday as the Liberty prepped for Tuesday’s clash in Las Vegas for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The Liberty (24-6) and reigning WNBA and Commissioner’s Cup champion Aces (27-3) have already split a couple of meetings this year, with each defending their home floor with blowout wins.
Now, the two conference leaders have played themselves into the final of the league’s annual in-season tournament.
Las Vegas, which boasts the league’s best record and a perfect 15-0 mark at Michelob ULTRA Arena, stomped New York, 98-81, at home on June 29.
The Liberty struck back Aug. 6 at Downtown’s Barclays Center, rolling to a 99-61 rout in the second matchup between the teams favored to meet in the WNBA Finals come October.
“That’s a good old-fashioned ass-whooping,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon conceded that night on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.
“I don’t mind getting our ass whooped every now and then,” she added. “It’s a good reminder that you’re still human and you’ve got to go out and prove it every moment. Lord knows we’re going to see them plenty this year.”
New York has won a season-high six games in a row, including Sunday’s 100-89 triumph in Indiana, which featured Most Valuable Player candidate Breanna Stewart’s record-setting third 40-point effort of the campaign.
“Winning the Commissioner’s Cup is continuing to have bragging rights. And someone said that it would be one of the first pieces of hardware that we would take home as the Liberty,” Stewart, the MVP of the inaugural Cup game with Seattle…
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