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Brondello's defending champs make statement

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basketball.com.au

Brondello's defending champs make statement
Brondello's defending champs make statement

Australian head coach Sandy Brondello of the New York Liberty looks on from the bench during the game against the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center on May 18, 2025 in New York City. New York Liberty defeated the Las Vegas Aces 92-78. Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Highlights

New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart's 25 points secures Barclays Center victory

  • Australian Opals coach Sandy Brondello has the New York Liberty ready to go in 2025
  • New York rolls rival Las Vegas Aces and WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson by 14 points at home
  • Liberty celebrated its 2024 championship before the tip-off

Australian head coach Sandy Brondello's quest for back-to-back WNBA titles started in emphatic fashion as the New York Liberty (1-0) dominated arch-rival Las Vegas Aces (0-1) 92-78 at Barclays Center on Sunday, May 18, 2025.

Stewart's 25-point performance and Cloud's 22 points powered the 2024 WNBA champion Liberty past the 2023 champions in their season opener.

Key Details

By the Numbers

  • Breanna Stewart (New York) starred with 25 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one block in 27 minutes.
  • A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas) scored 31 points, and had 16 rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 36 minutes.

What Happened

The Liberty celebrated their 2024 championship with a 15-minute pre-game ceremony where they received their rings and unveiled the championship banner before a sellout crowd of 17,344 fans. Carrying that energy into the contest, New York took a slight 19-20 first-quarter deficit and flipped it with a dominant second quarter, outscoring Las Vegas 28-13 to build a 47-33 halftime advantage.

Las Vegas showed championship resilience in the third quarter, with Wilson dominating inside to help the Aces outscore New York 25-16, cutting the deficit to just five points heading into the final frame. The Aces continued their surge early in the fourth quarter, pulling within 66-64 before newcomer Natasha Cloud delivered consecutive three-point plays that sparked an eight-point Liberty run, extending their lead to 74-64 with 5:47 remaining.

Reigning MVP Wilson put on an outstanding individual performance with 31 points and 16 rebounds for the Aces, shooting an efficient 11-from-22 from the field. However, her supporting cast struggled, with Jewell Loyd ineffective in her Aces debut, managing just five points on 2-from-10 shooting, including a dismal 1-from-6 from beyond the arc.

The Liberty's balanced attack proved decisive, with four players scoring in double figures. Stewart led with 25 points on an outstanding 10-from-14 shooting, while Cloud added 22 points, nine assists, and three steals. Jonquel Jones contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds, giving New York a formidable inside presence.

New York's superior shooting efficiency told the story — the Liberty connected on 48.6% of their field goals (35-from-72) compared to the Aces' 34.1% (28-from-82). The Liberty also dominated the glass with a 43-41 rebounding advantage and recorded 27 assists to Las Vegas' 18, displaying superior ball movement throughout the contest.

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