The Las Vegas Aces are set to face the New York Liberty in Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Cup championship game in Brooklyn, New York, but they could be without star center A’ja Wilson.
Wilson is listed as questionable on the Aces’ injury report after rolling her ankle in the fourth quarter of Las Vegas’ 107-99 victory over the Chicago Sky on Sunday.
Despite briefly heading to the locker room, Wilson returned with 7:05 remaining and proceeded to score 10 of her 30 points, helping the Aces secure their ninth road victory.
Wilson leads the WNBA in scoring (25.7 points per game) and is tied for the league lead in blocks (2.0)as she pursues her fifth MVP award.
New York, meanwhile, will be without forward Satou Sabally for a third consecutive game after she entered concussion protocol following an injury during the Liberty’s 87-76 victory over Las Vegas in last week at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The Aces have dropped eight of their last 11 games with the Liberty and have lost five straight at Barclays Center.
“I know Barclays is going to be rocking,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said last week. “Barclays has been a tough place for us to play the last few years. So it’s going to be a great battle.”
The teams previously met in the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup championship, which the Liberty won 82-63. Las Vegas responded later that season by defeating New York in four games for the 2023 WNBA title.
Tuesday’s matchup features nine former WNBA All-Stars and the winners of the past six league MVP awards: Wilson, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart. Stewart leads the Liberty in scoring this season with 19.2 points per game.
This game also could offer a preview of a postseason matchup. Since the tournament began in 2021, the Cup finalists have met in the WNBA Finals twice, and five of the 10 teams to reach the championship game also have advanced to the Finals in the same season.
The Liberty have lost four of their last five games, with their only win during that stretch coming against the Aces. Las Vegas, meanwhile, has won three of its last four, with its lone defeat also coming against New York.
Commissioner’s Cup Final
Who: Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty
When: 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Where: Barlcays Center, Brooklyn, New York
TV: Amazon Prime Video (streaming only)
