The Las Vegas Aces (16-8) host the league-leading New York Liberty (22-4) for the second time in the 2024 season this Saturday, Aug. 17. The renewal of one of the WNBA’s most intense rivalries is scheduled to tip-off at 4:00 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on CBS.
It’s always a must-watch game whenever the Aces and Liberty play, and the first matchup of the season between the two teams was no different. Back in June, the Liberty outlasted the Aces 90-82, riding a dozen made 3-pointers and a career-high 34 points from center Jonquel Jones to a win in Las Vegas.
Things will look a little different this time around, however, with Chelsea Gray back in the lineup for Las Vegas. The star point guard was still recovering from a foot injury suffered in last year’s WNBA Finals when the Aces lost to the Liberty earlier this season, and while Las Vegas kept the game close against its rival, Gray’s absence was noticeable when it came to the lack of halfcourt playmaking and shooting that only she can provide.
Gray’s return has coincided with an Aces hot streak that has made Las Vegas look much more like the powerhouse that has won two-consecutive WNBA championships than the team that began the 2024 season at 6-6. The Aces have gone 10-2 since then, and while Gray herself is still playing herself back into game shape, her impact on her team has been undeniable. In those 12 games, Las Vegas has had the best offense in the league, scoring 108.8 points per 100 possessions, with Gray’s unrivaled passing further elevating the talents of fellow Aces stars A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum.
The Liberty, meanwhile, have been without an important player of their own in Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Often considered to be New York’s best defensive player on the perimeter, Laney-Hamilton was also shooting 38 percent on 3-pointers when she underwent a knee procedure that is expected to keep her out through late August. New York still has plenty of perimeter defense, with players like Kayla Thornton and Kennedy Burke stepping up in Laney-Hamilton’s absence as centerpieces Jones, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu handle the rest. The team is in first…
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