Liberty Turn Pregame Message Into Dominant 111-71 Win Over Aces

Before Sunday’s matchup against Las Vegas, New York Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco kept his message simple: positioning, rebounding, and pace.

“We talk about rebounding all the time, especially offensively and making sure we're crashing, getting to the glass,” DeMarco said during pregame media availability. “We talked a lot about pushing the pace and wanting to play faster, and you have to go get the ball to do that.”

By the end of the afternoon, the Liberty had turned that message into one of their most decisive performances of the season.

New York defeated the Las Vegas Aces 111-71 at Barclays Center, pulling away after holding an 11-point advantage entering the third quarter and ultimately turning the matchup into a 40-point victory.

The Aces played without A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young, who were rested after Las Vegas played the previous night. Even with those absences, New York’s performance showcased the depth DeMarco has at his disposal.

No one embodied that more than Marine Johannès.

Coming off the bench, Johannès scored a career high 27 points in just 21 minutes, connecting on seven of her 10 attempts from beyond the arc and tying her career high for made threes.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Barclays Center crowd was still urging her to take another shot as she searched for an eighth three. She nearly delivered.

Her performance became a reminder of just how many different players can change a game for New York.

The Liberty’s reserves combined for 58 points, allowing Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones to sit for the entire fourth quarter as New York’s lead continued to grow.

Before the game, DeMarco also pointed to New York’s improved defensive positioning as one reason the team has been able to rebound more effectively and avoid unnecessary fouls.

“I think defensively, we haven't been as good as we want to be, but our positioning has been way better,” he said. “And that's allowed us to get rebounds.”

That discipline showed throughout a game New York controlled from start to finish.

The win moved the Liberty to 20-13 and continued a stretch in which they have won seven of their last eight games.

During postgame media availability, DeMarco was asked about the possibility of a first-round playoff matchup against Las Vegas and the tightly packed standings.

His response was immediate.

“We're like so far away. We're not talking about the playoffs,” DeMarco said.

When asked about the congestion in the standings, he acknowledged the reality while keeping the focus on the present.

“Listen, it's a mess,” he said. “But we're going to continue to control what we can control. And I'm really happy with the way from start to finish.”

That may be the clearest takeaway from Sunday.

With the postseason picture still unsettled, New York isn’t looking too far ahead. The Liberty are focused on what they can control and against Las Vegas, they controlled nearly everything.

This original reporting was produced by Zollyann Howell for UNWRITTEN Media. Visit www.unwrittenmedia.us and follow @theunwritten.media for more interviews, event coverage, and stories that matter.