Sep 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) shoots a jump shot over Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) during game one of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images The New York Liberty, fresh off the first WNBA championship in franchise history, will open their 2025 campaign with a home game against the visiting Las Vegas Aces on Saturday afternoon.
This will be a battle between the two most recent league champs. The Aces won titles in 2022 and 2023 before New York knocked them out in the 2024 semifinals.
Each team has its stars. For Las Vegas, it’s three-time and defending Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson, who last season averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.8 steals. She set the WNBA’s single-season scoring and rebounding records.
Wilson and teammates Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young are all Olympic gold medalists. Loyd, a six-time All-Star, is new to Las Vegas this season following a trade from Seattle.
“We added some championship-caliber players to our roster,” said Aces president Nikki Fargas, who also acquired Tiffany Mitchell.
Wilson and New York’s Breanna Stewart are regarded as two of the best players in the WNBA. They’ve combined to win five of the past seven MVP awards.
Stewart last season averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. She has made the All-WNBA first team five straight years, finishing in the top-three in the voting for league MVP each time.
Stewart underwent minor knee surgery (meniscus) in mid-March. She was limited for the start of training camp, but she should be a full-go now, and her assist totals may continue to climb because of the talent New York has around her.
That includes guard Sabrina Ionescu and center Jonquel Jones.
Ionescu last season averaged 18.2 points, 6.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds. She then had a busy offseason that included rehab for a thumb injury, a Nike Asia tour, a Paris Fashion Week trip and a Liberty exhibition game at her alma mater, the University of Oregon.
Jones, the 2021 MVP, averaged 14.2 points and 9.0 rebounds last season. At 6-foot-6, she can punish opponents in the paint or she can swish 3-pointers (38.8-percent accuracy last season).
New to the Liberty this year is point guard Natasha Cloud, who in 2022 led the league in assists and was also named first-team All-Defense.
Las Vegas has added rookies Elizabeth Kitley and Aaliyah Nye. Kitley was actually drafted in 2024, but she missed all of last season due to knee surgery.
The Aces on Saturday will be without Dana Evans (knee), Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (pregnancy) and Megan Gustafson (leg).
New York will be without starter Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who will miss the season due to knee surgery.
“Our hearts break for Betnijah,” Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb said. “But we’re confident she can make a full recovery.”
–Field Level Media
This news was originally published on this post .
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