Liberty advances to the WNBA Finals, ending the Aces' season with a 76-62 win in Game 4

The Las Vegas Aces' dream of winning three WNBA championships has been wiped out. Instead, the New York Liberty advance to the WNBA Finals after defeating the Aces 76-62 in Game 4.

The Liberty ended the Aces' season in front of a loud, packed crowd in Las Vegas, taking an early lead that they never quite relinquished. The Aces put up a good fight in the physical duel, but struggled to get shots despite some great looks on the court. The game was close in the third quarter before New York pulled away and took a dominant 14-point win.

Both teams started slowly and struggled to score, with the Liberty going 9-for-19 and the Aces 6-for-19 in the first quarter. Jackie Young scored a three-pointer to open the game for the Aces, but Las Vegas didn't score again until halfway through the quarter. Both teams eventually found their footing and the Aces made it even closer, with New York taking a 23-19 lead into the second quarter.

Sabrina Ionescu, who had just four points in Game 3, scored 12 points (including three three-pointers) on 4-for-4 shooting in the first quarter.

The Liberty, which led by as many as 10 points in the second quarter, maintained the lead despite a push-and-pull from the Aces, who got within a point just a minute before halftime. Despite being able to take the lead, Las Vegas failed to put the ball in the net despite multiple attempts. Breanna Stewart made a layup to give the Liberty a three-point lead heading into the locker room.

In the third quarter, New York and Las Vegas remained in a kind of holding pattern. Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich got into early foul trouble for the Liberty, forcing the team to adjust their approach. A'ja Wilson, meanwhile, continued to be a dominant defensive force: a massive block on Stewart sparked loud chants of “MVP” from the crowd.

Despite continued scoring woes, the Aces nearly took the lead at the end of the third quarter. Young made an insane buzzer-beating halfcourt shot that was eventually called back – impressive, even if she didn't fire it in time.

The momentum that Young's miss could have created for the Aces didn't last in the fourth quarter, as the team quickly dropped six points and Becky Hammon had to call a timeout just 71 seconds into the quarter. Stewart and Wilson exchanged some big blocks, but the Liberty pulled out to an 11-point lead – their largest of the game – after a massive three-pointer from Ionescu.

From there, New York only pulled away further, solidifying the win and securing a berth in the WNBA Finals for the second straight year. With the win, New York ends Las Vegas' 12-game home playoff streak.