Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty get revenge against Las Vegas Aces

The rematch between the WNBA’s two best teams featured a much better game for the Liberty compared to the first meeting in June.

The difference this time around: Sabrina Ionescu.

Ionescu had an awful offensive performance and was targeted on the defensive end in the first matchup. On Sunday, she lived beyond the three-point line, created opportunities for defense and even disrupted some possessions on the defensive end. Her strong outing led to a comfortable 99-61 victory at Barclays Center in a game where the Aces were down by 42 points.

Ionescu started her hot streak in the second quarter. She had four treys in the period and entered halftime with 23 points. She finished with 31 points, five rebounds and seven assists. She shot 6-for-10 from beyond the arc and the sharpshooting was contagious.

The Liberty shot 45% from deep. The whole Liberty starting lineup — except for Jonquel Jones — knocked down at least two treys in the game. Each trey led to the Barclays Center crowd to erupt and resulted in the game being over before the fourth quarter even began.

In the first game, the Aces broke away in the third en route to an easy 18-point victory. The Liberty got revenge Sunday and won comfortably in a game they entered as 5.5-point underdogs.

Sunday’s game started with aggression and grit by both teams. The first 18 points of the game were scored in the paint. Reigning MVP A’ja Wilson blocked three shots in the period before shortly leaving the game. She got hit with an inadvertent elbow from Jonquel Jones in the paint. Jones received a flagrant for the offensive foul. Wilson shot her free throws and later stayed in the game.

The reigning MVP struggled Sunday. She shot 2-for-14 from the field and ended with nine points in 25 minutes of action. She also grabbed seven rebounds.

Sharpshooting Aces guard Jackie Young shot 6-for-9 from the field while scoring 16 points. Chelsea Gray scored 15 points and dished six assists. Kelsey Plum went 4-for-16 from the field and contributed 12 points.

Sunday’s game is the first of four matchups scheduled in August. The two teams will meet again for the Commissioner’s Cup Final in Las Vegas on Aug 17.

Jones will look to continue her stellar post-All-Star Game play when the two teams meet. The center finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Breanna Stewart scored 23 points, grabbed six boards and dished five assists. Betnijah Laney contributed 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists.