Sabrina Ionescu Leads Liberty To Commissioner’s Cup Victory On Return

Sabrina Ionescu delivered her strongest performance of the season as the New York Liberty beat the Las Vegas Aces 93-85 to claim the Commissioner’s Cup. Ionescu scored 26 points, driving New York to a second title in the in-season competition.

Breanna Stewart added 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, and Stewart received the game’s MVP award ahead of Ionescu. With that honour, Stewart became the first player to earn Commissioner’s Cup MVP twice and now holds three Commissioner’s Cup titles.

The Liberty’s victory over the Aces made New York the first franchise to win the Commissioner’s Cup twice. Stewart’s latest MVP followed the award secured with the Seattle Storm in 2021, while Commissioner’s Cup triumphs have come in 2021, 2023 and 2026.

Ionescu is rebuilding form after a difficult spell with injuries. The guard has appeared in only nine games this season and just eight since returning from a back issue, following an earlier foot problem in the year, yet produced a complete display with five rebounds and five assists.

Despite that limited time on court, Ionescu explains that self-belief never disappeared. “I’ve always continued to have that belief myself,” said Ionescu. An extended layoff did not change that mindset or confidence in long-term progress.

“An injury or two is not going to diminish my understanding of who I am and the work that I’ve put in to get to where I’m at today. [I had to] obviously continue to keep the faith and understanding the tables will turn at some point, and that was tonight.”

Aces coach Becky Hammon highlighted how Ionescu shaped the contest, especially from three-point range, where Ionescu made five of 13 attempts. “Her game never takes me by surprise,” Hammon said of Ionescu. “She’s too good, and by the way, I don’t know if anybody’s noticed in this crowd, she likes big moments and big shots.”

The atmosphere around the Liberty’s win was captured courtside and online.

The crowd reaction underlined the scale of the night for the New York Liberty.

The game underlined different storylines for New York. Stewart built a unique Commissioner’s Cup record with multiple MVP awards and three titles, while Ionescu showed a near-complete recovery from injury. Together, the performances strengthened the Liberty’s status among the WNBA’s leading contenders.