Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart make big statement as Liberty eliminate Aces from WNBA Playoffs

The New York Liberty secured their spot in the WNBA Finals by eliminating the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces in a dominant four-game series. Sabrina Ionescu led the way with 22 points, bouncing back after a tough Game 3 to help her team advance with a 76-62 win.

The No. 1 seed Liberty will enjoy a short rest and a homecourt advantage as they seek the franchise's first-ever championship. They await the winner of the Minnesota Lynx vs. Connecticut Sun series to see who they'll face in the Finals. Ionescu shot 5 of 8 from beyond the arc with seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. In Game 3, the Liberty point guard struggled offensively and was passive in the game plan, finishing with just 4 points on 1-for-7 shooting.

The Liberty showcased its depth and offensive dominance in Game 4, with four out of five starters scoring in double figures. Breanna Stewart chipped in 19 points , Jonquel Jones added 14 points, and rookie Leonie Fiebich contributed 11 points despite early foul trouble. New York dominated the boards, outrebounding the Aces 48 to 27, and built an 18-point lead at one point. Ionescu was the driving catalyst for the dominant series, scoring at least 20 points in all three of the team's victories.

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After the game, the Liberty players gathered in a huddle where Ionescu was mic'd up and delivered a message to her teammates, repeatedly saying, "Hey, we're not done yet." Ionescu later addressed the media, reflecting on her performance and the team's return to the finals.

Ionescu reflected on her performance with a confident response: "Well we won, so I think it was pretty good," she said with a smile. Acknowledging the game prior, she added, "But to be honest, just continuing to be aggressive and knowing we're in the series for a reason. Be the best that I can for my team on any given night."

"We haven't done anything yet," she explained about her mindset for the finals return. "I think we all understand that. We want to come out and continue to be the best team like we have been all year and we're three wins away. We gotta come out and we gotta punch, because nothing has been given to us yet."

Ionescu remained laser-focused and said that the job wasn't done yet. "We haven't done anything yet," she explained when asked about her mindset heading into the championship series. "I think we all understand that. We want to come out and continue to be the best team like we have been all year, and we're three wins away. We gotta come out and we gotta punch, because nothing has been given to us yet."

"We just continued to chip away. Basketball is a game of runs, and we knew they were going to go on their run," she continued. "We continue to just stay together, and that paid off in the end."