There was no signal of a championship hangover at Barclays Heart on Saturday afternoon.
After seeing the franchise’s first WNBA title banner rise as much as the rafters, the Liberty obtained proper to enterprise. A transparent message was despatched: it’s time to run it again.
The primary recipients of the message have been A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces, who fell 92-78 within the first recreation of the 2025 WNBA season.
Breanna Stewart led the way in which with a team-high 25 factors and eight rebounds. She logged 27 minutes in her first common season recreation after present process offseason knee surgical procedure.
Wilson, the reigning unanimous MVP, completed with 31 factors and 16 rebounds, protecting her staff shut within the second half after trailing by as many as 17 factors early on.
She shortened the deficit to a few earlier than Jonquel Jones pushed it again to 5 on the finish of the third quarter.
The Aces obtained inside two within the fourth however fell sufferer to Natasha Cloud’s first Liberty second.
After Wilson’s and-1finish with 6:56 remaining, Cloud dashed down the court docket, drew contact from Chelsea Grey and obtained a standard three-point play of her personal.
On the following possession, the Aces didn’t convert on a number of possibilities and Cloud closed the possession by successful a unfastened ball in opposition to Grey by the sideline. Cloud once more transformed on a standard three-point play to increase the result in eight.
The house crowd erupted. With performs like that, Cloud will simply be a fan favourite in Brooklyn. And the performs will contribute to a different title run with the championship window large open.
In her Liberty debut, Cloud logged 22 factors, 9 assists and 6 rebounds.
Her late explosion was an excessive amount of to return again from because the lead stretched to double digits once more. And Las Vegas’ early deficit to assist them both.
The free-flowing, spaced offense Sandy Brondello emphasised throughout coaching camp put the Aces in that deficit. The five-out offense saved the Aces spaced and left with the choice to assist — or not — on some drives. They stayed residence and didn’t assistance on some drives, resulting in favorable seems to be on the rim for Sabrina Ionescu and Cloud.
Ionescu logged eight factors, seven rebound and 4 assists.
They contributed to the Liberty successful the second quarter, 28-15, whereas exhibiting how harmful the offense may very well be.
On one possession within the second quarter, two Aces defenders closed out of Jones bringing the ball up the court docket, which left Cloud large open for a layup.
It created the precise conundrum Cloud referenced previous to the house opener: who do you resolve to lock in on with so many Liberty weapons?
On Saturday, the Aces didn’t have a lot solutions for it.
And because the season goes on, the remainder of the league should determine it out as properly.
Initially Printed: Might 17, 2025 at 3:28 PM EDT
