Aces, Liberty set for star-powered Commissioner's Cup rematch
The Las Vegas Aces and visiting New York Liberty are set to square off in yet another anticipated meeting on Thursday, with both teams coming off impressive victories on Tuesday in their return from the All-Star break.
The Liberty (16-12) posted a season-high scoring total in a narrow 113-109 road win over the Los Angeles Sparks, led by dominant performances by franchise cornerstones Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
Stewart tallied 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting and made 2 of 4 attempts from 3-point range in addition to dishing out seven assists. Ionescu chipped in 27 points, making 5 of 9 3-point attempts.
The Liberty logged their third consecutive win after dropping their previous four games to fall to just one game above .500.
"I think it's confidence," Stewart said. "Our last two games before the break, we played Dallas and we won in overtime then (Ionescu) went crazy in the fourth against Chicago. What our team says is never say die. We continue to fight through the good, the bad, the indifferent, and that's what we did (Tuesday) as well."
The Liberty enter this game having defeated the Aces in both meetings this season, in Las Vegas on June 23 and again for the Commissioner's Cup championship in New York on June 30.
The Aces (19-8) handled the Portland Fire in a decisive wire-to-wire effort on Tuesday, led by a dominant performance from the dynamic duo of A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young.
Wilson padded her case as MVP front-runner with a 28-point, 14-rebound clinic, making 7 of 10 attempts from the field and 13 of 14 from the free-throw line. Young wasn't too far behind on the box score, tallying 25 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting from the field.
It was a timely win for Las Vegas, which entered the All-Star break having lost two of its past three games. That included an embarrassing 109-75 defeat to the Indiana Fever and a late-game collapse in a 100-99 loss to the Washington Mystics.
"We want to build habits," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "We want to build a level of consistency. I want to see the defensive end of the floor being played first and foremost, locked in on that end and then I think we become a very tough team to beat.
"I've said it before, when we play defense, we become an elite team. When we don't, we're a very beatable team. So, I'm going to harp on them on that end of the floor."
--Field Level Media
Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Field Level Media. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Field Level Media is strictly prohibited.
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 |  | End of the 1st Quarter | ||
| 01.3 |  | Liberty with an offensive rebound. | ||
| 01.3 | | Breanna Stewart misses a layup. | ||
| 13.6 | | Marine Fauthoux with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 13.6 | | Chelsea Gray misses a jump shot from 17 feet out. | ||
| 36.6 | | +1 | Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2. | 26-27 |
| 36.6 | | +1 | Breanna Stewart makes free throw 1 of 2. | 25-27 |
| 36.6 | | Shooting foul committed by Brianna Turner. | ||
| 48.4 | | Breanna Stewart steals the ball from Chelsea Gray. | ||
| 1:02 | | +2 | Rebekah Gardner makes a layup. Breanna Stewart with the assist. | 24-27 |
| 1:07 | | Xu Han steals the ball from Dana Evans. | ||
| 1:21 | | +1 | Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2. | 22-27 |
| 1:21 | | Substitution: NaLyssa Smith in for A'ja Wilson. | ||
| 1:21 | | Substitution: Chelsea Gray in for Jackie Young. | ||
| 1:21 | | +1 | Breanna Stewart makes free throw 1 of 2. | 21-27 |
| 1:21 | | Shooting foul committed by Brianna Turner. | ||
| 1:40 | | +2 | Jackie Young makes a jump shot from 16 feet out. | 20-27 |
| 2:02 | | A'ja Wilson with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 2:02 | | Xu Han misses a 3-point jump shot from 24 feet out. | ||
| 2:11 | | Breanna Stewart with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 2:11 | | Jackie Young misses a 3-point jump shot from 27 feet out. | ||
| 2:24 | | Brianna Turner with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 2:24 | | Breanna Stewart misses a jump shot from 8 feet out. | ||
| 2:38 | | +1 | A'ja Wilson makes free throw 2 of 2. | 20-25 |
| 2:38 | | Substitution: Marine Fauthoux in for Sabrina Ionescu. | ||
| 2:38 | | +1 | A'ja Wilson makes free throw 1 of 2. | 20-24 |
| 2:38 | | Shooting foul committed by Xu Han. | ||
| 2:50 | | Jewell Loyd steals the ball from Rebekah Gardner. | ||
| 2:59 | | Rebekah Gardner with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 2:59 | | A'ja Wilson misses a jump shot from 7 feet out. | ||
| 3:13 | | Substitution: Dana Evans in for Chelsea Gray. | ||
| 3:13 | | Xu Han with a turnover | ||
| 3:13 | | Offensive foul committed by Xu Han. | ||
| 3:28 | | +2 | Brianna Turner makes a layup. Chelsea Gray with the assist. | 20-23 |
| 3:37 | | A'ja Wilson with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 3:37 | | Rebekah Gardner misses a jump shot from 7 feet out. | ||
| 3:46 | | Liberty with an offensive rebound. | ||
| 3:46 | | A'ja Wilson blocks a Breanna Stewart layup. | ||
| 3:58 | | +2 | Jackie Young makes a layup. Chelsea Gray with the assist. | 20-21 |
| 4:00 | | Substitution: Xu Han in for Jonquel Jones. | ||
| 4:00 | | Substitution: Rebekah Gardner in for Rebecca Allen. | ||
| 4:11 | | Brianna Turner with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 4:11 | | Breanna Stewart misses a jump shot from 10 feet out. | ||
| 4:22 | | Sabrina Ionescu with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 4:22 | | A'ja Wilson misses a 3-point jump shot from 27 feet out. | ||
| 4:35 | | +3 | Sabrina Ionescu makes a 3-point jump shot from 27 feet out. | 20-19 |
| 4:47 | | +3 | Chelsea Gray makes a 3-point jump shot from 26 feet out. Jackie Young with the assist. | 17-19 |
| 4:52 | | A'ja Wilson with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 4:52 | | A'ja Wilson blocks a Jonquel Jones layup. | ||
| 5:01 | | Substitution: Marine Johannes in for Pauline Astier. | ||
| 5:01 | | Personal foul committed by Jewell Loyd. | ||
| 5:20 | | +2 | Jackie Young makes a layup. | 17-16 |
| 5:42 | | +2 | Rebecca Allen makes a layup. Sabrina Ionescu with the assist. | 17-14 |
| 6:00 | | Substitution: Jewell Loyd in for Stephanie Talbot. | ||
| 6:00 | | Substitution: Brianna Turner in for NaLyssa Smith. | ||
| 6:03 | | Liberty with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 6:03 | | Chelsea Gray misses a 3-point jump shot from 23 feet out. | ||
| 6:19 | | +3 | Rebecca Allen makes a 3-point jump shot from 26 feet out. Sabrina Ionescu with the assist. | 15-14 |
| 6:26 | | Sabrina Ionescu with an offensive rebound. | ||
| 6:26 | | Jonquel Jones misses a 3-point jump shot from 27 feet out. | ||
| 6:41 | | Liberty take a full timeout. | ||
| 6:41 | | +3 | Jackie Young makes a 3-point jump shot from 26 feet out. A'ja Wilson with the assist. | 12-14 |
| 6:52 | | +1 | Jonquel Jones makes free throw 2 of 2. | 12-11 |
| 6:52 | | +1 | Jonquel Jones makes free throw 1 of 2. | 11-11 |
| 6:52 | | Shooting foul committed by NaLyssa Smith. | ||
| 7:06 | | +3 | Jackie Young makes a 3-point jump shot from 27 feet out. A'ja Wilson with the assist. | 10-11 |
| 7:17 | | +1 | Pauline Astier makes free throw 2 of 2. | 10-8 |
| 7:17 | | +1 | Pauline Astier makes free throw 1 of 2. | 9-8 |
| 7:17 | | Shooting foul committed by Chelsea Gray. | ||
| 7:26 | | +3 | Jackie Young makes a 3-point jump shot from 27 feet out. | 8-8 |
| 7:35 | | NaLyssa Smith with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 7:35 | | Jonquel Jones misses a jump shot from 12 feet out. | ||
| 7:49 | | Breanna Stewart with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 7:49 | | A'ja Wilson misses a 3-point jump shot from 27 feet out. | ||
| 8:04 | | +3 | Rebecca Allen makes a 3-point jump shot from 25 feet out. Pauline Astier with the assist. | 8-5 |
| 8:25 | | +1 | A'ja Wilson makes free throw 2 of 2. | 5-5 |
| 8:25 | | +1 | A'ja Wilson makes free throw 1 of 2. | 5-4 |
| 8:25 | | Shooting foul committed by Breanna Stewart. | ||
| 8:36 | | NaLyssa Smith with a defensive rebound. | ||
| 8:36 | | Jonquel Jones misses a 3-point jump shot from 26 feet out. | ||
| 8:52 | | Pauline Astier steals the ball from A'ja Wilson. | ||
| 9:05 | | +3 | Pauline Astier makes a 3-point jump shot from 26 feet out. Jonquel Jones with the assist. | 5-3 |
| 9:29 | | +3 | Stephanie Talbot makes a 3-point jump shot from 24 feet out. A'ja Wilson with the assist. | 2-3 |
| 9:47 | | +2 | Breanna Stewart makes a layup. Jonquel Jones with the assist. | 2-0 |
| 10:00 | | Jump Ball: Jonquel Jones vs. NaLyssa Smith. | ||
| 10:00 | | Start of the 1st Quarter |
| Min. Per Game | ||
| Pts. Per Game | ||
| Ast. Per Game | ||
| Reb. Per Game | ||
| Field Goal % | ||
| Three Point % | ||
| Free Throw % |
|
Liberty with an offensive rebound. | 01.3 |
|
Breanna Stewart misses a layup. | 01.3 |
|
Marine Fauthoux with a defensive rebound. | 13.6 |
|
Chelsea Gray misses a jump shot from 17 feet out. | 13.6 |
| |
+ 1 | Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2. | 36.6 |
| |
+ 1 | Breanna Stewart makes free throw 1 of 2. | 36.6 |
|
Shooting foul committed by Brianna Turner. | 36.6 |
|
Breanna Stewart steals the ball from Chelsea Gray. | 48.4 |
| |
+ 2 | Rebekah Gardner makes a layup. Breanna Stewart with the assist. | 1:02 |
|
Xu Han steals the ball from Dana Evans. | 1:07 |
| |
+ 1 | Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2. | 1:21 |
| Team Stats | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Points | 26 | 27 |
| Field Goals | 7-17 (41.2%) | 9-15 (60.0%) |
| 3-Pointers | 4-7 (57.1%) | 5-9 (55.6%) |
| Free Throws | 8-8 (100.0%) | 4-4 (100.0%) |
| Total Rebounds | 9 | 7 |
| Offensive | 1 | 0 |
| Defensive | 5 | 7 |
| Team | 3 | 0 |
| Assists | 6 | 6 |
| Steals | 3 | 1 |
| Blocks | 0 | 2 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Fouls | 3 | 5 |
| Technicals | 0 | 0 |
| On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| B. Stewart | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1/5 | 0/0 | 4/4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 11 |
| R. Gardner | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| H. Xu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 |
| M. Johannes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 |
| M. Fauthoux | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 1 |
| On Court | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| B. Stewart | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1/5 | 0/0 | 4/4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 11 |
| R. Gardner | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| H. Xu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 |
| M. Johannes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 |
| M. Fauthoux | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 1 |
| On Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| Total | 26 | 6 | 6 | 7/17 | 4/7 | 8/8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -3 | - |
| On Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB | +/- | FPTS |
| Total | 27 | 7 | 6 | 9/15 | 5/9 | 4/4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | -4 | - |