Liberty Legend-Turned-Foe Names Biggest Change

Becky Hammon has noticed how the New York Liberty revamped and reloaded after besting them in last year's WNBA Finals.

Sep 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon yells to her team during the first half against the Dallas Wings during game three of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

BROOKLYN -- Former New York Liberty star and current Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon has often had to go to the back of the deck to take down her original WNBA employers.

Hammon nearly did it again on Sunday afternoon: despite missing presumed WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas gave New York all it could handle in what eventually became a 75-71 victory for the Barclays Center dwellers, who led by as much as 20 before hanging on for the win. The Aces (22-13) were paced by 25 points for Kelsey Plum in their lone regular season visit to Brooklyn this year.

Sunday's thriller came nearly a year after Las Vegas captured its second consecutive championship on Brooklyn hardwood, one where the Aces prevailed despite missing starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes. While New York has mostly matched last season's roster, Hammon took note of how new and old seafoam savants alike made them even more dangerous than last season's 32-win tally.

"I think they got better. I love (Leonie) Fiebich's game," Hammon said, starting with the Liberty's rookie sensation. "She's tall. She's really long, can stretch the defense, can guard multiple positions. She's a really smart basketball player. I think Jonquel (Jones) and (Breanna Stewart), their ability to pass the ball has changed them. They're a very unselfish, very unselfish team. That's very admirable in some ways because a lot of times, it's hard to get them to pass it back out because they have to have a guard pass it to them in the first place."

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

"I just think their chemistry, everything about them is better. You could go down the list, but I think they've been very intentional this year. I think they've been playing with a lot of purpose, a lot of edge. They've got something to prove and they've proven it. I think they've played that way."

To Hammon's point, Jones and Stewart have each added facilitation to their expansive repertoires, on pace for career-bests in assists by averaging 3.3 and 3.8 respectively. Fiebich, on the other hand, has been one of the most impact freshmen on the WNBA circuit and many have her destined for the All-Rookie team at season's end.

New York (29-6) played the way Hammon noticed for most of Sunday's game but a late Las Vegas run made things interesting, especially after the Liberty lost two-way stalwart Betnijah Laney-Hamilton to an apparent knee injury with just over seven minutes remaining. Fiebich's length came up especially big in the final minute, as her vital rebound ended a potential go-ahead possession for Vegas after Sabrina Ionescu's jumper gave New York a slim but permanent lead.

Stewart had 21-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win while Jones fell just two boards shy of matching her with 15 points while also dishing out four assists as one of four New York leaders in the category.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

Even with Wilson's absence, the Liberty made no secret about how much they wanted to take Sunday's game considering what transpired last fall, even if they were far from pleased by the way they obtained it. With the win, New York swept the three-game Finals rematch set, having won both matchups in Sin City earlier this summer.

"They're the defending champs, of course they're going to come out no matter who's on the court whether A'ja's playing or not, they're they're fighting to win," Stewart said. "Obviously, we're happy that we're going away with the win, but we were up 20 at one point. We have to continue to build, not relaxing at any point when you're on the court."

"The last time they were on this court, they won a championship," Ionescu recalled. For us, it was kind of the mentality of it doesn't matter who's out there, it doesn't matter at all. It's just understanding that we've got to come out and take care of business and win. We don't, you know, want to feel that again and I think you were able to see that that grinded-out win and efforts from everybody was huge. In order for us to to make sure that didn't happen."

Under the current playoff settings, a postseason rematch between the top-ranked Liberty and the fourth-seeded Aces would occur in the second-round semifinals. New York has a chance to inch closer toward a top-seed clinch on Tuesday night in Dallas (8 p.m. ET, CBSSN).

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