Liberty cough up 20-point lead but defeat defending WNBA champion Aces

The two-time defending WNBA champs and wanna-be first-time champs met for the final time in the regular season Sunday at Barclays Center.

Last October, the Las Vegas Aces walked off with the title by claiming Game 4 on the Liberty’s home floor, but this year’s regular-season series went totally the other way.

After winning in June and August in Las Vegas, the Liberty gave away a 20-point third-quarter lead on Sunday, falling behind by a point late in the game. They then scored the final five points and completed the three-game sweep with a 75-71 victory.

“Obviously, we’re happy we’re going away with the win, but we were up 20 at one point,” Breanna Stewart said. “[It’s] continuing to build, not relaxing at any point when you’re on the court.”

Stewart delivered 21 points, 11 rebounds and one huge block. Jonquel Jones had 15 points and eight rebounds and Sabrina Ionescu scored 14 points.

The Liberty moved to 29-6 and stayed three games ahead of Minnesota with five games left in the race for the top seed.

Still, they had a worry. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton collided with Jones early in the fourth quarter, went down and grabbed her right knee. It was her fifth game back after right knee surgery.

“Just praying that she will be OK,” coach Sandy Brondello said. “She got hit pretty hard. So let’s see what the doc says.”

The Aces were missing their ace player, probable soon-to-be three-time MVP A’ja Wilson.

Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said Wilson, the league’s leading scorer at 27.3 points per game, “tweaked” her right ankle in Friday night’s win at Connecticut. She was in a boot and missed a game for the first time since 2019.

“There’s no like long-term concerns,” Hammon said.

The Liberty took a 63-43 lead with 2:35 remaining in the third quarter, but the Aces (22-13) promptly went on a 25-5 run. Kelsey Plum, who had 25 points, nailed a three-pointer to tie it at 68 with 2:36 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Ionescu countered with a jumper, but Sydney Colson drilled a long three-pointer to give Las Vegas a 71-70 edge with 1:54 remaining.

Stewart missed two free throws, but after Plum failed from three-point range, Ionescu made another jumper — 72-71, Liberty.

Plum couldn’t connect on a drive and Ionescu was fouled with 22 seconds left. She canned one of two.

After a Las Vegas timeout, Jackie Young drove and Stewart blocked her shot with 5.5 seconds left. Jones made two free throws at 2.5 to clinch it.

“We have to go out and not take our foot off the gas,” Ionescu said.

The Liberty trailed by eight in the first quarter but rebounded to go up 45-33 at halftime against a team they very well could see in a postseason rematch — with Wilson on the court.

“Everything about them is better,” Hammon said of the Liberty before the game. “I think they’ve been playing with a lot of purpose, a lot of edge, like they’ve got something to prove. And they’ve proven it.”