Well, well, well. It’s another edition of the decade’s biggest WNBA rivalry: Aces vs. Liberty. In what could be a first-round playoff preview, these two immensely talented teams will go head-to-head once more to kick off this outstanding Sunday slate. Buckle up.
The Liberty enter as 9.5-point home favorites with -410 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Aces are +320 underdogs, with the game total set at 178.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Aces-Liberty matchup.
Aces vs. Liberty Prediction, Preview
This will be the fourth time these two teams square off. New York took the first matchup 87-76 behind a 20-point performance from Breanna Stewart, a preview of the Commissioner’s Cup Final that was played a week later. Las Vegas put in a scrappy performance in A’ja Wilson’s absence, getting 31 points from Jackie Young, but it wasn’t enough. New York claimed a 93-85 victory behind massive games from Stewie and Sabrina Ionescu, adding another notch in their belt against the Aces.
But Las Vegas wouldn’t go down without a fight. They matched up again on July 30th, and Las Vegas won 104-99 in one of the games of the season. A’ja Wilson played with a vengeance, scoring 33 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists. Jackie Young continued to cook New York with 29 points and nine assists. Though Stewie did what she could offensively, the defense wasn’t there for New York, leading to the high-scoring loss.
Editor’s Note: C A’ja Wilson, G Jackie Young and G Chelsea Gray have all been ruled out due to rest for Sunday’s game vs. the Liberty.
For this matchup, the injury report holds a lot of sway. A’ja and Chelsea Gray are listed as questionable due to rest, and all signs point to one or both of those stars taking a seat at the end of a tough back-to-back. It’s clear that our oddsmakers are taking that possibility very seriously, with the Liberty coming in as overwhelming favorites despite being the inferior team. For the Liberty, their usual absences are on the report for Sunday: Satou Sabally and Leonie Fiebich remain out of the lineup.
Assuming Gray and Wilson are out, it’s going to be the Jackie Young show on offense for the Aces. Head coach Becky Hammon will hope that Young can channel another incredible performance against the Libs. But they’ll also look for some production out of Jewell Loyd, who has largely been a flop since joining the Aces. Her penchant for tough shotmaking will surely come in handy.
For the Liberty, the game plan is to stay the course. With no A’ja, they can get a ton of production from Stewie and Jonquel Jones in the frontcourt. NaLyssa Smith has been a great defender this year, but can’t contain them both by herself. The absence of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who was finally waived by the team, will severely impact their defense of Young. But they’ve been getting used to life without Betnijah. If Sabrina continues to cook offensively, it’s hard to imagine the Aces keeping up.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to pull out the win, and how should we bet on this game?
Aces vs. Liberty Pick, Best Bet
If Las Vegas’ stars are indeed out, it’s hard to see a path forward, especially after a tough game on Saturday against the Lynx. I expect New York’s offense to get hot and roll over the Aces, but Jackie Young will have her say before it’s done and dusted.
