After the Liberty’s Game 4 victory over the Aces to earn them another shot at a WNBA title, Breanna Stewart could be found on the sideline greeting her teary-eyed wife, Marta Xargay Casademont.
While it was an emotional win for the Liberty to knock out the team that defeated them for their second consecutive title in four games last year, Stewart was dealing with the death of her father-in-law, Josep, during the 2023 WNBA Finals along with the trash talk from the Aces, of which she kept “receipts.”
“It definitely was emotional. I’ll try not to get too emotional but my father-in-law passed away last year, yesterday. So no matter what, it’s a really tough time. Just the way the series went last year, kind of going through all of that and making sure this year is different… And I have receipts on the things that were said. The entire team does. But really, my mentality today was to go in and get this win for my wife and her dad.”
the Aces on Oct. 6. 2024. NBAE via Getty Images
Despite the Liberty continuing to be level-headed, assuring that their job isn’t done until they have their first franchise trophy, there was certainly a sweet taste of revenge after Sunday’s game.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon could feel it.
“New York has had really great will and determination this whole year,” Hammon said after the loss. “We talked a lot of smack last year. I’m sure they heard it and they got to smack us this year.”
During the Aces’ championship parade last year, Hammon ripped Stewart’s rare 10-point Game 4 performance on stage.
“(Three)-for-17 is all you need to talk about,” she said of Stewart’s stat sheet.
Kelsey Plum also notably took a shot at the Liberty’s team dynamic.
She noted the team didn’t “care about each other” and that they often reverted back to “individual basketball” in big, crucial moments.
Jonquel Jones responded at the Liberty’s exit interviews, calling the comment “classless.”
“We talked our crap,” Hammon continued. “They heard it and they get to talk their crap. It’s part of the game, it’s not personal. I can talk whatever I want and at the end of the day, I have mad respect for Sandy [Brondello]…Sab [Sabrina Ionescu], Stewie. I have mad respect for those players.”
The Liberty will face either the No. 3 Sun or No. 2 Lynx in the finals starting Thursday in Brooklyn.
Connecticut forced a Game 5 on Sunday with a 92-82 win.
