LAS VEGAS — Sabrina Ionescu scored 23 points, Breanna Stewart added 18, Jonquel Jones recorded a double-double and the Liberty beat the Las Vegas Aces 79-67 on Saturday to clinch their fourth consecutive playoff berth.
Ionescu made 9 of 21 shots, including 3 of 10 from 3-point range, and grabbed six rebounds as New York (23-4) maintained its league-best record with its second road win of the season against Las Vegas.
The Liberty won 90-82 on June 15 in Las Vegas.
The Aces defeated the Liberty in the finals last season to win their second consecutive championship.
Stewart added seven rebounds for New York, which won its sixth straight game.
Jones scored 10 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds.
Leonie Fiebic had 12 points and seven rebounds.
A’ja Wilson led Las Vegas (16-9) with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Kelsey Plumb scored 11 of her 13 points in the first quarter.
Chelsea Gray totaled 13 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Plum made all four of his shots, including two three-pointers, helping the Aces lead 28-24 at the end of the first quarter.
Plum’s three-point play gave Las Vegas an 11-point lead, but Ionescu capped a 7-0 run with a jump shot and a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left to pull Liberty within four.
Ionescu scored 12 points in the first 10 minutes.
Kayla Thornton opened the scoring in the second period with a turnaround jump shot, followed by a 3-pointer by Ionescu to give Liberty a 29-28 lead.
The Liberty extended their lead to eight points on a floater by Ionescu, but Alisha Clark answered with a basket and Las Vegas trailed 42-36 by halftime.
The Aces made 6 of 7 3-point shots to start the game, but missed 11 straight before the intermission.
The Liberty held Las Vegas to just eight points in the second quarter.
Clark ended Las Vegas’ zero three-point shooting streak (12 consecutive misses) with 3:52 left in the third quarter to put the Aces up 50-47.
Kennedy Burke hit a 3-pointer and Ionescu scored on a rebound, and the Liberty held the Aces scoreless with 2:04 left in the game to extend their lead to 59-51 at the end of the third quarter.
Stewart hit a 3-pointer 41 seconds into the final period to extend Liberty’s lead to double figures.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Kiah Stokes and Gray put the Aces within 67-63 with 6 minutes, 24 seconds left in the game.
Fievich answered with a 3-pointer, Ionescu made two free throws and Thornton made a 3-pointer to put Liberty up by 12 with 4:46 left and they never looked threatened again.
It was the Aces’ first game since the league went on a month-long hiatus for the Paris Olympics.
