The NY Liberty staves off elimination in the WNBA finals

The GIST: Put those brooms away because the No. 2 NY Liberty staved off a WNBA Finals sweep yesterday, taking Game 3 87–73 over the No. 1 Las Vegas Aces.

• While the superteam series lives to see another day, it could now be marred by a potentially series-altering injury to one of the league’s brightest stars. Let’s dig in.

Game 3 recap: NY’s Jonquel Jones took her team’s previously lackluster performances personally, draining a team-leading 27 points to guide the Libs to their first Finals win since 1999. Even better, reigning MVP Breanna Stewart shook off her postseason slump, throwing down some serious blocks and contributing 20 points of her own.

• Feeding off the home crowd, NY dominated throughout the entire game, but all of Barclays inhaled sharply when Las Vegas’ Chelsea Gray injured her left leg in the fourth quarter.

• Gray, the 2022 Finals MVP, is a core part of the Aces superteam, and her injury status could significantly impact the outcome of the series.

What’s next: With the best-of-five battle standing at a 2-1 Vegas lead, Game 4 is back at Barclays on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. The Libs are fighting to do what no team has done before — climb out of a two-game hole to win a WNBA title — while the Aces remain just one win away from becoming the first back-to-back champions since 2002. Game on.