Liberty vs Aces score, result: A'ja Wilson stars in Game 2 of WNBA Finals to give Las Vegas 2-0 series lead

Author Photo
Benyam Kidane
and others
• 8 min read
A'ja Wilson (Aces, WNBA Finals) 11102023
Getty Images

The Las Vegas Aces made a statement on their home floor, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead in the WNBA Finals, with a convincing 104-76 victory over the New York Liberty.

The Aces trio of Jackie Young, A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum proved too much in Game 2, combining for 73 points, nearly outscoring the Liberty themselves in the win as they now sit one win away from becoming the first team to go back-to-back since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks.

Wilson scored a game-high 26 points and 15 rebounds, becoming just the third player in WNBA Finals history to have 25+ points and 15+ rebounds, while Young added 24 points and eight rebounds.

Plum finished with 23 points and eight assists, with Chelsea Gray's playmaking setting the tone for Game 2, recording 11 assists to go with 14 points and six rebounds. 

The Aces had the ball moving wire to wire, notching 31 assists on 37 made field goals. 

The Liberty have their work cut out for them as the series shifts to New York. In best-of-five series', teams trailing 0-2 have a 0-17 record (0-8 in the Finals). The Liberty are the ninth team to trail 2-0 in the Finals and seven of the previous eight have been swept. 

It was another tough night shooting the ball for the Liberty, who connected on just 8-of-35 from the 3-point line (22.8 percent), with Sabrina Ionescu, Courtney Vandersloot, and Betnijah Laney combining to shoot 5-of-20 from deep.

The Sporting News tracked all the live updates, stats and highlights from Game 2 of the WNBA Finals below. 

Liberty vs Aces score

Team 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q Final
Liberty 19 25 13 19 76
Aces 36 14 28 24 104

Liberty vs Aces live score, updates, highlights from Game 2 of WNBA Finals

FINAL: Aces 104, Liberty 76

11:27 p.m. — That's a wrap from Michelob ULTRA Arena as the Aces take a 2-0 series lead and move one step closer to back-to-back championships. 

11:00 p.m. — The Aces trio of Plum, Young and Wilson combined for 73 points tonight. Ballers. 

10:56 p.m. — Plum, Young and Wilson come out of the game for the Aces as they empty the bench leading by 27 points with 3:54 minutes remaining. This one's all but over for the Liberty as they stare down a 2-0 series deficit. 

10:48 p.m. —  The Aces are in cruise control in Game 2.

End of third quarter: Aces 80, Liberty 57

10:40 p.m. — The Aces go into the final frame with a 23-point lead led by A'ja Wilson's 24-point, 12-rebound double-double. Jackie Young has 21 points and Kelsey Plum 17. 

10:37 p.m. — Johannes' third assist of the night finds Sabrina for the triple!

10:23 p.m. — Jackie Young in attack mode! She's got 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists so far tonight.

10:20 p.m. — The Aces start the third with a bang, racing out on an 8-0 run to put the lead back into double figures. Aces lead 60-44.  

10:15 p.m. — Star power in the building. Vivica A. Fox and Cynthia Cooper courtside for Game 2.

Halftime: Aces 52, Liberty 44

10:00 p.m. — Make that a 12-0 run for the Liberty and we have a ball game. What a half.  

9:53 p.m. — Jonquel Jones is doing her best to keep the Liberty in the game. She has a game-high 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Vegas' 22-point lead is now just nine points, 50-41.

9:50 p.m. —  With five assists tonight Kelsey Plum rewrites the record books, passing her head coach Becky Hammon for the second-most playoff assists in franchise history.  

9:48 p.m. — A'ja Wilson putting the moves on Breanna Stewart in the post! Sheesh. Aces lead 50-32.

9:43 p.m. — Chelsea Gray beats the buzzer in style!

9:41 p.m. — Here comes the Liberty! Jonquel Jones scores on back-to-back plays to cap a 7-0 run, cutting the lead down to 15 points. Aces lead 43-28.

End of first quarter: Aces 38, Liberty 19

The Aces race out to a 19-point lead thanks to some crisp ball movement with 12 assists on 14 made field goals. 

9:28 p.m. — Jackie Young makes it 36-15 with the layup as the Aces continue to keep their foot on the gas. Timeout Liberty.

The 36 points are the most the Aces have scored in a quarter all season and a WNBA Finals record for points in a first quarter. The Liberty have their work cut out for them. 

9:23 p.m. — The Aces are ON FIRE! Kelsey Plum gets the and-1 finish to go to make it 27-7 with 3:18 remaining in the period. 

9:22 p.m. — The ball is moving moving!

9:20 p.m. — The Liberty are struggling to get anything going on offense, with an ice cold start to the game, going 2-of-12 from the field. 

9:19 p.m. — Chelsea Gray bringing the show to Game 2, with the no-look dime to Kiah Stokes! She has four assists already.

9:12 p.m. — The Aces are on a mission early, racing out to a 14-2 lead, thanks to a barrage of 3-pointers from Kelsey Plum. Timeout Liberty. 

Pregame

8:30 p.m. — Here's how we line up:

Aces

  • A'ja Wilson
  • Chelsea Gray
  • Jackie Young
  • Kelsey Plum
  • Kiah Stokes

Liberty

  • Courtney Vandersloot
  • Sabrina Ionescu
  • Betnijah Laney
  • Breanna Stewart
  • Jonquel Jones

8:15 p.m. — Ahead of Game 2, take a look back at the sights and sounds from Game 1. 

How to watch Game 2 of Liberty vs Aces

  • Date: Wednesday, Oct. 11
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Live stream: Sling TV

Game 2 of the WNBA Finals will tip off on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 9 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN, but viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV.

Sign up for Sling TV to watch your favorite live sports, news and entertainment. There are no long-term contracts, and you can change your channel lineup anytime. Sling base packages (Sling Orange or Sling Blue) start at $40 per month. Sling Orange + Blue starts at $55 per month. DVR is included along with thousands of on-demand shows and movies.

WNBA Finals schedule

Game Date Time (ET)/Result Location TV channel
Game 1 Oct. 8 Aces 99, Liberty 82 Las Vegas ABC
Game 2 Oct. 11 9 p.m. Las Vegas ESPN
Game 3 Oct. 15 3 p.m. New York ABC
Game 4* Oct. 18 8 p.m. New York ESPN
Game 5* Oct. 20 9 p.m. Las Vegas ESPN

*If necessary

Author(s)
Benyam Kidane Photo
Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor for The Sporting News.

WNBA
NBA