New York Liberty

The New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun took steps towards the WNBA Championship on Sunday.

The Liberty defeated the Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in Game 1 of the semi-finals, putting the team just two wins away from a spot in the WNBA Championship.

The New York Liberty defend home court and down the Las Vegas Aces 🗽 pic.twitter.com/XiSOC1TTCf

— ESPN (@espn) September 29, 2024

Later on Sunday night, the Connecticut Sun defeated the Minnesota Lynx 73-70 to claim a 1-0 lead in the other semi-final.

SUN WINNNNN 👏#BringTheHeat #SunWin pic.twitter.com/jLrEyavG23

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) September 30, 2024

Here's a look at the WNBA semi-final matchups along with the TV, streaming schedules and a recap of Sunday's action.

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No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces Series Schedule

Game 1: New York Liberty defeat Las Vegas Aces, 87-77

Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 1, time and TV information is TBD

Game 3: Friday, Oct. 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Game 4: Sunday, Oct. 6, time and TV information is TBD (If necessary)

Game 5: Tuesday, Oct. 8, time is TBD, ESPN2 (If necessary)

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No. 1 New York Liberty def. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces 87-77

Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 34 points. She was 12-of-19 shooting and 2-of-4 from three-point range. She also finished with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

Sabrina Ionescu finished with 21 points, five assists and four rebounds and Jonquel Jones had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Kelsey Plum led the Aces with 24 points and added four assists and two rebounds while A'Ja Wilson had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists.

This series is a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Championship, which the Aces won 3-1. New York will hope to quickly dispose of the rival and prepare to take home their first WNBA Championship.

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No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 6 Connecticut Sun Series Schedule

Game 1: Connecticut Sun defeat Minnesota Lynx, 73-70

Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Game 3: Friday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Game 4: Sunday, Oct. 6, time and TV information is TBD (If necessary)

Game 5: Tuesday, Oct. 8, time is TBD, ESPN2 (If necessary)

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No. 6 Connecticut Sun def. No. 2 Minnesota Lynx, 73-70

A balanced offensive effort from the Sun carried the team to victory.

Marina Mabrey led the team with 20 points and she did most of her work from beyond the arc. She went 6-of-11 from three-point range and also added five rebounds and three assists.

Alyssa Thomas scored 17 points and added 10 rebounds and nine assists, nearly securing the triple-double. DiJonai Carrington contributed 13 points and added nine rebounds and four assists while DeWanna Bonner had 10 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Napheesa Collier had 19 points for Minnesota while Bridget Carleton had 17 and Kayla McBride had 10.

Minnesota will need to pick it up in order to even the series while Connecticut will look to build on the current lead and return to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2022.

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said it was "disappointing to hear" WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert's comments on star rookie's Angel Reese report that she has received racist abuse from fans amid her Rookie of the Year competition with Caitlin Clark.

"To be honest, I saw the interview today, and since then have been in talks with [executive director Terri Jackson] at the WNBPA. I think that it's disappointing to hear," Stewart told reporters Tuesday after the Liberty's win over the Dallas Wings, per Christian Arnold of the New York Post.

"Because the way that the fans have surged, especially behind Caitlin and Angel coming to this league, but also bringing, like, a race aspect, to a different level. There's no place for that in our sport. I think that's really what it is. We want our sport to be inclusive for race, for gender, and really be a place where people can be themselves.

"We wish Cathy would have used her platform in a different way and have made that a little bit better. Just telling the fans enough is enough. Become a fan of our sport, and for the new ones, lock in on everybody. But don't be disrespectful, because as a league, we stick together, and there's no place for that."

Following the Liberty’s win tonight against Dallas, @MAVoepel asked @breannastewart about her thoughts on the dialogue around the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry and what tone she would like to see from the league.

Stewie’s response: pic.twitter.com/TAGJYacODo

— Greydy (@GreydyDiaz) September 11, 2024

Las Vegas Aces stars Alysha Clark and Kelsey Plum also criticized Engelbert's statement on Tuesday, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou. Clark said the comments were "not okay," while Plum said they were "hard to hear."

"It's pretty clear, there's a difference between rivalries and racism. Big difference," Plum said, per Philippou.

Stewart, Clark and Plum were responding to Engelbert's Tuesday appearance on CNBC's "Power Lunch," during which she addressed Reese's report of receiving abuse from fans.

"There's no more apathy. Everybody cares," Engelbert said about Reese and Clark (3:00 mark below.) "It is a little of that Bird-Magic moment, if you recall from 1979, when those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry, one white, one Black. And so we have that moment with these two. But the one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry. That's what makes people watch. They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don't want everybody being nice to one another.

"Social media is different today than it was in 1979, when it didn't exist, but I always tell the players, I was told a long time ago: If someone's typing something in, and you wouldn't ask their advice. Ignore it."

Later that day Jackson issued a statement criticizing Engelbert's comment on behalf of the WNBPA.

"This is not about rivalries or iconic personalities fueling a business model," Jackson wrote. "This kind of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked. It demands immediate action, and frankly, should have been addressed long ago."

A Statement from the Executive Director pic.twitter.com/CDRAgnwa5y

— WNBPA (@TheWNBPA) September 11, 2024

Engelbert responded Tuesday night on X by stating that "there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else."

During a recent media interview, I was asked about the dark side of social media and online conversation about WNBA rivalries and race. To be clear, there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else.

— Cathy Engelbert (@CathyEngelbert) September 11, 2024

Engelbert and the WNBPA's comments center around a recent appearance by Reese on her podcast Unapologetically Angel, during which the Chicago Sky rookie said that although there has "never been beef" between her and Clark, she has received racist abuse from the Indiana Fever star's fans.

"I think it's really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, they ride for her. And I respect that, respectfully, but sometimes it's very disrespectful. There's a lot of racism, when it comes to it, and I don't believe she stands on any of that," Reese said (10:30 mark.)

Reese continued: "... When it comes to death threats ... I'm talking about, people coming down to my address. It's come down to that."

Since being selected with the No. 1 and No. 7 picks of the 2024 draft, Clark and Reese have posted record-breaking campaigns, with Reese setting a league standard for consecutive double-doubles as Clark has broken the rookie record for assists. Their rookie seasons have also been tied to a spike in WNBA viewership.

Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty are the first WNBA team to guarantee themselves a 2024 playoff spot.

Ionescu scored 23 points on Saturday as the Liberty earned a 79-67 postseason-clinching win over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

PLAYOFF SPOT SECURED 🔒#SEAFOAMSZN | #LIGHTITUPNYL pic.twitter.com/KoPnGlJPKi

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 17, 2024

Updated WNBA standings after the Liberty's victory are below.

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WNBA Standings

1. New York Liberty, 23-4 (Clinched postseason)
2. Connecticut Sun, 19-6
3. Minnesota Lynx, 19-8
4. Seattle Storm, 17-9
5. Las Vegas Aces, 16-9
6. Phoenix Mercury, 14-13
7. Indiana Fever, 12-15
8. Chicago Sky, 11-15
9. Atlanta Dream, 8-17
10. Los Angeles Sparks, 6-20
11. Dallas Wings, 6-20
12. Washington Mystics, 6-21

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The top eight teams in the league will qualify for the postseason.

Ionescu shot 9-for-21 from the field, including 3-for-10 from behind the arc, to help power the Liberty to the win.

Breanna Stewart contributed 18 points, while Jonquel Jones led the team with 17 rebounds in the victory.

The Liberty's stars combined for an impressive defensive performance as they held the Aces to 67 points, the team's fourth-fewest since the start of the 2022 season.

The Liberty have punched their playoff ticket 🎫

Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart led the charge, securing New York's spot in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs presented by @Google ⬇️

Ionescu: 23 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST
Stewart: 18 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/jzTcC7atNE

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 17, 2024

This marks the second time the Liberty have triumphed over the defending champions while playing on the road this season. New York also claimed a 90-82 win over the Aces in Las Vegas in June.

The Liberty's 23-4 start to the season marks the franchise's best-ever record through 27 games.

The team has 13 games remaining, a slate that includes four matchups against the Dallas Wings following their 6-20 start to the season. That will give the Liberty a shot at fending off the 19-win Connecticut Sun and holding on to the top spot in the league.

This marks the fourth straight season in which the Liberty have guaranteed themselves a playoff berth. The team has now qualified for the playoffs 19 times in the franchise's 28-year WNBA history.

Despite five trips to the Finals, including last season's loss to the Aces, the Liberty have never won a title. The team will look to change that as they fight to head into the postseason with home-court advantage.

The Koch family is reportedly on the verge of owning a 15 percent stake in the parent company for the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA's New York Liberty.

Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico reported Tuesday that billionaire Julia Koch—along with her children David Jr., Mary Julia and John—agreed to purchase the stake of BSE Global.

Soshnick and Novy-Williams explained the parent company of the Nets, Liberty and Barclays Center was just given a post-money enterprise valuation of approximately $6 billion.

The Kochs are purchasing the stake from Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, who control BSE Global. While league governors must vote by June 24 to approve the sale, the NBA's advisory financial committee already reviewed it and recommended approving it.

Of note, the Tsais will still retain full control of the teams. What's more, Koch Industries is not involved.

Soshnick and Novy-Williams pointed out Sportico lists the Nets as the 13th-most valuable franchise in the NBA at $3.98 billion and the Liberty as the third-most valuable franchise in the WNBA at $130 million.

Billboard also reported in April that Barclays Center was the highest-grossing arena in the world:

We know Brooklyn is where it’s at, but thanks to @billboard for making it official.

Thrilled to be the #1 top grossing venue in the world for the month of April. More big things to come for the rest of 2024! pic.twitter.com/AKTE4WqeHv

— Barclays Center (@barclayscenter) June 3, 2024

On the court, the Nets were just 32-50 this past season and had a streak of five consecutive playoff appearances snapped. They lost in the first round in four of those postseason appearances and never made it past the second round.

Brooklyn has also cycled through head coaches of late with Steve Nash, Jacque Vaughn and Kevin Ollie all leading the way at different times in the past two seasons. The team just named Jordi Fernández as the next head coach in April.

The Liberty are better set up for immediate success.

They just reached the WNBA Finals last season, where they lost to the Las Vegas Aces, and could be on their way to another appearance in 2024. They are 12-2 this season with a group of star players that includes Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, among others.

Both teams will now be pursuing championships with a new family involved at the ownership level.

New York Liberty superstar guard Sabrina Ionescu did her best Michael Jordan impression during Saturday's home 91-80 home win against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at Barclays Center.

With the Liberty in firm control late in the first half, Ionescu faked a pass, which caused Clark to bite. The two-time All-Star then drilled an open three-pointer and shrugged her shoulders, much like Jordan did during the 1992 NBA Finals between his Chicago Bulls and the Portland Trail Blazers:

Sabrina Ionescu faked out Caitlin Clark for the three 👀 pic.twitter.com/VQ6HlklIlz

— ESPN (@espn) May 18, 2024

That bucket helped give the undefeated Liberty a 57-37 halftime lead over the winless Fever, and Ionescu went on to finish with 12 points and five assists in the victory.

Clark enjoyed a strong performance in defeat, recording 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

When the 2024 WNBA season started this month, much of the focus and hype surrounded Clark, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft out of Iowa.

Clark established herself as one of the greatest players in women's college basketball history, winning every major national player of the year award twice, and leading the Hawkeyes to the National Championship Game in back-to-back seasons.

Every indication is that Clark will be a superstar in the WNBA, but she hasn't yet been as dominant as she was in college, and she also doesn't have a ton of talent surrounding her relative to the WNBA's best teams.

Before Clark burst onto the scene, Ionescu generated a somewhat similar level of hype while at the University of Oregon.

The now-26-year-old Ionescu was the 2020 Naismith and Associated Press Player of the Year, and she holds the career record for most triple-doubles in Division I women's basketball.

New York selected Ionescu with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, and while injuries slowed her over her first two seasons, she has come into her own since then.

Ionescu was named an All-Star and All-WNBA Second Team selection in both 2022 and 2023, averaging 17.0 points per game or better in each of those seasons. She also helped the Liberty reached their first WNBA Finals since 2002 last season.

Of course, Ionescu has been aided by the fact that the Liberty front office went out and got some stars to play alongside her in Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.

If the Fever do something similar in the coming years, Clark will have all the tools needed to thrive and contend for championships in the WNBA.

Nike revealed Saturday the second signature shoe for New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, which is set for release on June 28.

ESPN's Nick DePaula posted photos of the Sabrina 2 on X, which features what Nike is calling a "Court Vision" colorway:

Nike officially unveils the Sabrina 2 — which will launch on June 28th in both Adult & Kids sizes.@Sabrina_i20 will debut her 2nd signature shoe in this “Court Vision” colorway: pic.twitter.com/yTwijI8DCg

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) May 18, 2024

The purple and black sneakers will be complete with Ionescu branding, as the tongue of the shoe is emblazoned with her signature "S" logo.

Ionescu, 26, was a sensation during her collegiate playing days at Oregon, earning Naismith Player of the Year honors in 2020, and setting the all-time women's college basketball record with 26 career triple-doubles.

She entered the WNBA in 2020 with a ton of hype behind her as the No. 1 overall pick, but injuries limited Ionescu to just three games as a rookie, and she followed that up by averaging a somewhat pedestrian 11.7 points per game in 2021.

However, Ionescu has come into her own since then, earning two straight All-Star nods and two consecutive All-WNBA Second Team selections.

Ionescu put up 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.3 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game in 2022, followed by 17.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 3.6 three-pointers made and 1.0 steal per contest last season.

She also played a key role in the Liberty reaching the WNBA Finals last season, marking the first time they made it that far since 2002.

Ionescu has helped the Liberty to a 2-0 start so far this season, and with her, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones leading the way, New York should be a championship contender once again in 2024.

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum sees Iowa's Caitlin Clark and the New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu occupying pivotal spaces within the game long term.

On the newest episode of his podcast, McCollum reflected on the growth of women's basketball and the stars who are leading the way. Regarding Clark and Ionescu, he said at the 17:30 mark that "they're the future of basketball in terms of must-see TV."

Co-host Cassidy Hubbarth had asked McCollum about a reported plan under consideration to have Clark and Ionescu compete in a three-point shootout against the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson at All-Star Weekend in 2025.

Clark is both benefiting from the work women's players have accomplished before her and also helping to raise the profile of the game. She will be the most anticipated rookie the WNBA has seen for a long time.

When it comes to the next generation stars who will anchor the league, the 22-year-old will be in the mix.

Some might push back on putting Ionescu in the same category when she isn't even the biggest star on her own team. But her record-setting performance in the 2023 WNBA Three-Point Contest and a strong showing against Curry showed how electric she can be when her shooting touch is right.

In general, there isn't one singular star who needs to carry the women's game forward. One strength of college basketball and the WNBA is that both have multiple players who have become household names and will help keep women's basketball on an upward trajectory.

Breanna Stewart removed any doubt regarding her short-term future after agreeing to a new deal with the New York Liberty on Monday.

Stew York City is here to stay.🤝 pic.twitter.com/Iz4GymzdAG

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) February 26, 2024

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Stewart signed a one-year deal.

The Liberty applied the core designation to the two-time MVP in January, which granted them exclusive negotiating rights and all but secured her return to the Big Apple.

Stewart could've earned the full supermax salary on a one-year core tender but settled for a "below-maximum" payout, per Charania.

She provided New York with additional flexibility by taking a non-guaranteed salary.

Teams are allotted up to six protected salary slots in a given year. The Liberty were up to five when including Kennedy Burke, whom The Next's Jackie Powell reported is getting the veteran minimum ($76,535) guaranteed. Instead of Stewart filling that last spot, it's still available to help general manager Jonathan Kolb secure one more meaningful addition.

When it came to Stewart, Kolb wasted no time in affirming the franchise intended to keep her, and there was little reason to think she'd want a change of scenery already. New York reached the WNBA Finals in 2023, and the 29-year-old had one of the best seasons of her career.

All of the Liberty's key players are returning, so they're once again poised to be the strongest challengers to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

Looking at the bigger picture, Stewart only signing for one season probably doesn't reflect any hesitation about how she views the Liberty long-term.

The WNBA's current collective bargaining agreement is incentivizing players to only sign one- or two-year contracts. The CBA runs through 2027 but includes an opt-out that either side can trigger to go into effect after the 2025 season.

The WNBA has a new media rights deal coming down the pike at some point, and that could see the league's revenue skyrocket just in time for CBA negotiations. For stars on Stewart's level, going year by year ensures they'll get to cash out as soon as the financial spike happens.

That does present a challenge to Kolb, though. Stewart is headed for free agency in another year's time, and the trio of Nyara Sabally, Leonie Fiebich and Okako Adika are the only Liberty players under contract for the 2026 season.

Anything short of winning a title in 2024 or 2025 could throw a serious wrench into New York's superteam construction.

In a first-of-its-kind competition, Steph Curry beat Sabrina Ionescu in the NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend Saturday night.

Ionescu went first and came out hot, scoring 26 points, which would have been good enough to make the final in the Starry 3-Point Contest that Damian Lillard won. Ionescu used a WNBA-regulation ball, but she didn't back down from the challenge of shooting from the NBA line, making her 26 points even more impressive.

Ionescu certainly put pressure on Curry, and her performance stunned fans.

Us watching Sabrina’s round: pic.twitter.com/TzxEFZabin

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 18, 2024

Sabrina locked in craaaaaaaazy

— Clique Productions (@ImClique_) February 18, 2024

Nah Sabrina went off on that first rack!

— Robin (@Lo_SpeaksEZ) February 18, 2024

You telling me Sabrina could’ve won against Dame ? 👀

— Jeemyll (@jaypsg78) February 18, 2024

sab shot as good as or better than everyone not named stephen curry

not bad lol

— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) February 18, 2024

Heck Yeah SABRINA!! Way to represent!! #WBBvsEVERYBODY

— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) February 18, 2024

But Curry proved why he's the greatest shooter of all time during his attempt. It was still anyone's game halfway through Curry's round, but he caught fire late and sealed the win on his money ball rack, scoring 29 points.

STEPHEN CURRY WINS
STEPHEN CURRY WINS pic.twitter.com/UwMQWrFzaT

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 18, 2024

STEPHEN CURRY HEATS UP LATE TO WIN STEPHEN vs. SABRINA!

Curry: 29 PTS
Ionescu: 26 PTS

What. A. Battle. https://t.co/hRX4qElqQJ pic.twitter.com/Uu9hmBhUhO

— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024

Sabrina Ionescu put on for the @WNBA
Shot from the NBA 3 point line and scored just as many as the NBA winner. Steph Curry is just on a different level than the rest of the Galaxy.

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 18, 2024

https://twitter.com/oprahsideclark/status/1759053222096810487

Highest 3-point contest scores tonight:

Steph Curry - 29

Sabrina Ionescu - 26
Damian Lillard - 26
Trae Young - 26
Karl Anthony-Towns - 26
Tyrese Haliburton - 26

On another level 🐐 pic.twitter.com/SWwh0nXeOH

— Guru (@DrGuru_) February 18, 2024

WARDELL STEPHEN CURRY II.

THE GREATEST SHOOTER THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.

THREE POINT KING. pic.twitter.com/SoYAkGLqht

— JP13 (@PooleOnBall) February 18, 2024

The event, which was played for charity, certainly excited both NBA and WNBA fans, and it likely won't be the last time the NBA and WNBA combine for competition. Ultimately Curry took home the win, but the night set the stage for an exciting future of three-point battles.