New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) warms up prior to Game 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Dynamic duo helps Liberty stave off elimination in Game 3 of WNBA Finals

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 10/15/23

The New York Liberty will live to play another day.

On Sunday, the dynamic duo of Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart helped the Liberty stave off elimination with an 87-73 victory over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

Jones was outstanding on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Jones contributed 27 points (10-of-15) and shot 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. She also added eight boards, two steals and three blocks.

After one block in particular, Jones did her best Dikembe Mutombo impression, giving Aces guard Kelsey Plum the finger wag after an emphatic rejection.

Jonquel Jones hit the Mutombo finger wag after this nasty block on Plum

(via @wnba)pic.twitter.com/pvjcvkKke3
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 15, 2023

Meanwhile, Stewart also played a significant role in Sunday's win. The two-time Finals MVP recorded a double-double against the Aces, posting 20 points (8-of-16) and 12 rebounds with four assists.

On the other side of the floor, A'ja Wilson had a quiet day by her standards but still managed to make WNBA history. Finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the loss, Wilson notched her fifth career Finals double-double, tying her with Jones, Maya Moore and Tamika Catchings for the third-most in history, per the WNBA.

The Liberty broke a few critical trends in Game 3. New York held the Aces to 33 percent shooting on Sunday after allowing the Aces to shoot 50 percent or better throughout the series. They also outscored Vegas by 14, which has to be a confidence boost for the Liberty.

Through Game 1 and Game 2, the Aces held a point differential of plus-45, the third-highest in Finals history through two games.

Once a highly anticipated series, the Aces looked like they were about to run away with the title without much of a fight. However, now their series lead is down to 2-1, and the Liberty will have a chance to even things up Wednesday at home for Game 4 (8 p.m. EST.), looking to force a deciding Game 5.

Furthermore, the Aces might be shorthanded as guard Chelsea Gray left the contest early with what looked to be a severe foot injury. After the game, head coach Becky Hammon had no update on Gray's status, telling reporters, "I'll let you know when we know."

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