Aces to take on Liberty for 3rd time this season

The Las Vegas Aces will host the New York Liberty at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday at 7 p.m., with the game streamed on Prime Video. The Liberty enter the contest with a 16‑12 overall record and a 9‑3 mark in the Eastern Conference, while the Aces sit at 19‑8 overall and 13‑4 in the Western Conference. According to the preview, the Liberty are coming off a 113‑109 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in which Breanna Stewart tallied 29 points. Las Vegas has posted an 8‑5 record in home games this season and ranks second in the Western Conference with 41.5 points per game in the paint, a figure paced by A’ja Wilson’s average of 13.2 points in that area. New York, meanwhile, is 8‑7 on the road and holds a 3‑4 record in games decided by one possession. The Aces convert 49.3 % of their field‑goal attempts, a rate that exceeds the Liberty’s opponents’ allowed percentage by 4.2 points (45.1 %). New York averages 10.3 made three‑pointers per contest, 1.3 more than the 9.0 three‑pointers per game that Las Vegas surrenders. This meeting marks the third encounter between the teams this season. The Liberty prevailed in the most recent bout, a 93‑85 win on June 30 that served as the Commissioner’s Cup title game, with Sabrina Ionescu contributing 26 points. Individual highlights include Jackie Young, who is averaging 17 points and 6.6 assists for the Aces. Over her last ten outings, Wilson is posting 26.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2 blocks per game. Stewart is scoring 21.4 points per game and pulling down 8.4 rebounds for New York, while Ionescu has averaged 2.8 made three‑pointers across her last ten games. In their last ten games, the Aces are 7‑3, averaging 94.7 points, 31.8 rebounds, 21.0 assists, 7.7 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 50.8 % from the floor; opponents have averaged 87.0 points. The Liberty are 4‑6 over the same span, averaging 90.2 points, 32.7 rebounds, 19.3 assists, 6.6 steals and 4.6 blocks per game with a 45.5 % field‑goal percentage; opponents have averaged 94.1 points. Injury updates list the Aces without Janiah Barker (out for the season with a leg issue), Kierstan Bell (day‑to‑day, leg), NaLyssa Smith (day‑to‑day, illness) and Cheyenne Parker‑Tyus (day‑to‑day, concussion protocol). The Liberty are missing Marine Johannes (day‑to‑day, ankle), Leonie Fiebich (out, foot) and Satou Sabally (day‑to‑day, concussion protocol). The Associated Press produced this report using technology from Data Skrive and data supplied by Sportradar.