Liberty Make a Statement as Aces Stumble Without Kelsey Plum in WNBA Opener
The 2025 WNBA season opened with fireworks, and no matchup had more eyes on it than the New York Liberty vs. the Las Vegas Aces. In what was expected to be a heavyweight clash, the Liberty made an emphatic statement with a 92-78 victory over the defending champions.
New York entered the night riding high, unveiling their 2024 championship banner before the game. They backed it up on the court, led by Breanna Stewart’s 25 points and Natasha Cloud’s 22. The Liberty shot nearly 50% from the field and dominated the paint, capitalizing on defensive lapses from a new-look Aces squad.
Las Vegas, now without Kelsey Plum, Tiffany Hayes, Sydney Colson, and Kate Martin due to salary cap limitations, struggled to find rhythm. The team had high hopes after acquiring All-Star Jewell Loyd, but her debut was underwhelming—scoring just 6 points on 2-for-10 shooting. Despite A’ja Wilson’s heroic 31-point, 16-rebound performance, the Aces were undone by poor shooting, weak paint defense, and overall lack of cohesion.
Coach Becky Hammon didn’t sugarcoat the issues. While she acknowledged missed open shots, she was far more concerned with the defense: “The points in the paint, with Cloud just turning the corner on us, Stewie slipping to the rim—those are layups. And you can’t give up layups in this league.”
The absence of Plum was especially noticeable. Her scoring and playmaking have been foundational to the Aces’ back-to-back championships. Meanwhile, Plum seemed to thrive in her new role with the Los Angeles Sparks. She exploded for a WNBA season-opening record 37 points on 11-of-19 shooting in a win over the Golden State Valkyries. She looked every bit the superstar Las Vegas let go.
Now, the pressure is on Jewell Loyd to bounce back quickly and find her rhythm with Wilson and the rest of the squad. The Aces still boast talent, but this loss raised early questions about chemistry, depth, and whether they made the right roster moves.
It’s only Game 1 of a long season, but Las Vegas may already be playing catch-up in their title defense.