How the New York Liberty came up short in 2023 WNBA Finals

BROOKLYN — Betnijah Laney and Courtney Vandersloot shared a hug once the buzzer sounded near the New York Liberty bench. It was a long, meaningful squeeze. This embrace didn’t come after the Liberty made history as the first team to force a game 5 in the WNBA finals after being down 2-0. Instead, the embrace came as the Las Vegas Aces made history becoming the first team since the 2002 Los Angeles Sparks to win back-to-back WNBA championships. 

The Liberty came up short in the final 8.8 seconds. They were down 70-69, and head coach Sandy Brondello called a timeout. Inside the huddle she spoke about how the plan was to get Breanna Stewart the ball and have her penetrate toward the rim to either make a basket or pick up a foul. “We gotta get the offensive board and if we miss, we’ve gotta foul,” she said in that huddle. She then turned to Stewart and then the team and said: “You can get to the rim and then rebound.”