Beating the Aces in the WNBA semfinals was nice, but the Liberty's journey isn't done yet

The final seconds evaporated off the clock, and the Liberty had done it. They had taken out the two-time defending WNBA champion in the semifinals, delivering a fabulous fourth quarter to beat Las Vegas by 14 on its home floor in Game 4.

They could feel a great sense of accomplishment Sunday, reaching the best-of-five Finals again after ousting the team that ousted them in four in last year’s Finals.

And yet they didn’t.

The mindset at that moment?

“That we haven’t done anything yet,” Breanna Stewart said. “Just the feeling of not satisfied, I think.”

The top-seeded Liberty head into Game 1 at Barclays Center on Thursday night against Tuesday night’s Game 5 survivor, Minnesota or Connecticut, having gone 37-9 since the opening tipoff of the regular season.

But they aren’t going to feel that great sense of accomplishment unless this run ends with the championship trophy in their hands for the first time in the franchise’s 28 seasons of existence.

“We went to the Finals last year and we didn’t do nothing,” Stewart said.

Or as coach Sandy Brondello put it, “If you don’t win, there’s no satisfaction there, is it?”

The Liberty rebounded nicely from their 95-81 loss in Game 3 in Vegas to finally get past the rival Aces with the 76-62 victory.

“No hurdle was passed just getting back to the Finals,” said Sabrina Ionescu, who rebounded the most with 22 points after scoring just four in Game 3. “For us … it’s New York versus New York. We want to go out there and be the best that we can be no matter what team it is.”

But to end Las Vegas’ rule actually was an accomplishment.

“New York has had a really great will and determination this whole year,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “We talked a lot of smack last year. I’m sure they heard it. And they got to smack us this year.

“This team was put together to take us out, and they did.”

Stewart contributed 19 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in Game 4. She had reason to feel particularly motivated.

She had a lot to deal with last October following the death of her father-in-law early that month. She and wife Marta were also expecting a second child, who was born late that month.

The two-time MVP shot 3-for-17 in the finale of the Finals at Barclays. Hammon mentioned that at a public celebration for her team.

“I have receipts on the things that were said,” Stewart said after this rematch. “The entire team does.”

Now Stewart and the rest of the Liberty will start with home-court advantage and will see if they can create a different ending to the final chapter.