3 takeaways from Aces’ win: Team finally takes down Liberty

It’s been two months since Aces coach Becky Hammon’s “hungry wolves” were left licking their wounds after losing to the New York Liberty to open their season.

As illustrated in the Aces’ 83-77 win over the Liberty at Michelob Ultra Arena on Wednesday, a lot has changed since then.

There’s a reason Hammon expected her team to approach the 2025 season with a feral level of passion. She said she’d counted down the days until she’d get to face the Liberty again because of the way they ended the Aces’ bid for three-straight WNBA championships in the semifinals last year.

Instead, the Aces opened their season with a 92-78 loss on the Liberty’s ring night on May 17. Hammon was faced with the realization that her team simply had “a lot of work to do.”

With a slightly different roster, a new starting lineup and some defensive improvements, all that work was on display on Wednesday. The Aces outscored the Liberty 22-14 in the fourth quarter and outlasted 13 total lead changes to secure their first regular-season win against New York since August 17, 2023.

Guard Jewell Loyd led the Aces (19-14) with 21 points off the bench on 5-for-9 shooting from the 3-point line. Reigning MVP A’ja Wilson added 17 points and 16 rebounds in her team’s fifth straight win.

Loyd said afterward the Aces’ work isn’t done yet.

“We’re constantly getting better. We want to get better. That’s the thing,” Loyd said. “We know we’re not done evolving as a team.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Loyd’s bench spark

Loyd scored at least 20 points for the third time since deciding to come out of the Aces’ starting lineup following a loss to the Minnesota Lynx on July 25.

She was averaging her fewest points per game since her rookie year before the switch. Now she’s averaging 15.5 points per game as a reserve.

Hammon said Loyd is still playing starter minutes but can get in a better flow off the bench. Loyd agreed.

“I think I just come in and try to get a rhythm, try to see what we need,” Loyd said. “But honestly, it’s just that I’m just making shots, all my teammates are finding me and it’s not anything different. I just want to help my team.”

Forward Kierstan Bell has taken Loyd’s spot in the starting lineup since the change, but Hammon decided to start guard Dana Evans instead Wednesday.

Hammon thought the Aces needed speed to combat Liberty guard Natasha Cloud and she said Evans brought that. Cloud did dribble right at Evans and score a layup the first possession of the game, but Evans responded at the other end with a 3.

2. Wilson’s rebounding

Wilson’s rebounding was huge for the Aces, especially in the fourth quarter.

Seven of her 16 rebounds came in the final frame. Five of them were offensive boards that extended possessions for the Aces.

Hammon said Wilson and the entire team have flourished after being given a green light to go for offensive rebounds this season. The Aces outrebounded the Liberty 39-30 overall.

“I’ve always prioritized transition defense in the past. Then I started doing some analytics, started studying some of the NBA teams and decided, screw the transition defense. Let’s get more possessions,” Hammon said. “So (offensive rebounding) has been a point of emphasis for our whole team to crash this year. … They’ve been instructed to go.”

3. Stretch run

Free agent pickup Emma Meesseman scored 24 points for the Liberty (21-12), who were without Breanna Stewart, Nyara Sabally and Isabelle Harrison due to injuries.

New York coach Sandy Brondello said before the game that scheduling has played a role in her team’s recent struggles. The Liberty also played Tuesday, defeating the Los Angeles Sparks 105-97 on the road.

Hammon said she’d be communicating with the Aces throughout their final 11 games to make sure they’re managing their health over the stretch run. She and point guard Chelsea Gray, despite the win, were even keeled about where they stand at this point in the season.

“We’re just steady and poised in the locker room,” Gray said. “We never get too high and too low. I mean, we had a couple lows this season. In the uncomfortable situations, you figure out who you are as a team.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.