New York Liberty v Las Vegas Aces
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - Breanna Stewart (#30) of the New York Liberty and A'ja Wilson (#22) of the Las Vegas Aces wait for a Liberty player to shoot a free throw in the third quarter of their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on June 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Liberty 98-81. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The Las Vegas Aces soundly defeated the New York Liberty, 98-81, in the first of their four meetings this season held at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday night.

The highly-anticipated game was between the two favorites for the 2023 WNBA Finals, which featured several high-profile stars such as 2022 WNBA Finals MVP Chelsea Gray, 2022 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, All-Star Kelsey Plum, and legendary veteran Candace Parker for the Aces.

Meanwhile, the Liberty boasts 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones, two-time champion Breanna Stewart and the Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry-mentored fan favorite Sabrina Ionescu.

However, the game was less thrilling than anticipated. The defending champions got off to a hot start and never squandered the lead throughout the game.

Plum scored a game-high 18 points, alongside 8 assists and 3 rebounds. Parker and Jackie Young added 15 points each for Las Vegas.

Stewart was the lone bright spot for New York, scoring 16 points with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Las Vegas Aces Off to Hot Start

Las Vegas has won seven in a row, improving to 14-1 with the win. The Connecticut Sun was the only team to hand the Aces a loss in a 94-77 victory last June 8.

Las Vegas is only the third team in WNBA history to go 14-1, going heads above the competition right now as the holders of the best record in the league.

The Liberty was also coming off four consecutive victories before tonight's loss. The two teams will meet again on August 6 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.