(Photo credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images)

The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces, who have combined to win the three most recent WNBA championships, aren't playing up to their expectations.

New York (12-6), which will host Las Vegas on Tuesday night, has won just three of its past nine games after a 9-0 start.

Las Vegas, which won WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023 before giving way to New York in 2024, endured a stretch earlier this season in which it lost five of six games.

The Aces, after a win over the 2-16 Connecticut Sun on Sunday, are breaking even with a 9-9 record.

But in their previous game, the Aces lost 81-54 to the Indiana Fever, who were without superstar Caitlin Clark -- and Aces coach Becky Hammon was not happy.

'That's a complete lack of professionalism to come here with that effort,' Hammon said after her team shot 26.2 percent. '... I don't know how you step onto the floor with 20,000 people in the stands and perform like that. It is the worst offensive night I've ever seen (since) I've been here in the last four years.'

The Liberty beat the Aces 92-78 in the season opener, the only matchup between these two premier franchises so far this season.

Aces star A'ja Wilson, a three-time WNBA MVP, leads the league in blocks (2.6) and ranks second in scoring (21.9) and second in rebounds (9.0).

Injuries have hit the Liberty hard.

Jonquel Jones, New York's 6-6 center and the WNBA's MVP in 2021, has only played nine games and is out with an ankle injury. Jones is also a five-time All-Star and the MVP of the 2024 Finals.

'You see that she has a very big impact on our team,' Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. 'She was playing great.'

Indeed, the Liberty's defensive rating with Jones on the court is 83.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. Without her, it jumps to 102.6 points allowed.

Liberty All-Star Breanna Stewart ranks fourth in the league in scoring (19.8), but she is shooting only 19.6 percent from 3-point range, well off her career 35.0 percent average.

Liberty point guard Natasha Cloud, who is averaging 10.1 points and 6.2 assists, did not finish the team's 79-70 loss on Sunday due to an undisclosed injury. Her status for Tuesday is uncertain.

--Field Level Media