New York wins opener against Las Vegas 92-78 after celebrating 2024 title with ring, banner ceremony

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and New York Liberty center Nyara Sabally go up for the ball during the first half of a WNBA basketball match Saturday May in New York AP Photo Heather Khalifa AP Heather Khalifa Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and New York Liberty center Nyara Sabally go up for the ball during the first half of a WNBA basketball championship Saturday May in New York AP Photo Heather Khalifa AP Heather Khalifa NEW YORK AP Breanna Stewart scored points and Natasha Cloud added to help the New York Liberty beat the Las Vegas Aces - on Saturday in the season opener right after the club unveiled its WNBA championship banner New York had a -minute ceremony before the challenge where the players received their championship rings and the banner was raised to the rafters of Barclays Center to the delight of the sellout crowd of The Liberty used the momentum and strength from that ceremony to beat the rival Aces whom they eliminated in the WNBA playoff semifinals last year New York built a -point halftime lead before Las Vegas chipped away to get within - early in the fourth quarter Cloud who came to the Liberty in an offseason contract then had consecutive three-point plays to start an - run that made it - with left Las Vegas could only get within six the rest of the way A ja Wilson led Las Vegas with points and rebounds Jackie Young added points for the Aces who were missing reserve Crystal Bradford Bradford was serving a one-game suspension for an event from This was her first time on a regular-season roster since then Jewell Loyd who came to the Aces in the offseason via a exchange struggled in her first battle with Las Vegas She missed her first four shots before scoring her first points on an elbow jumper midway through the second quarter She finished with five points AP WNBA https apnews com hub wnba-basketball Source