LAS VEGAS (AP) – The celebration was relatively quiet considering how long the Liberty had been waiting to exact revenge on the Aces for beating New York on their home court in last 12 months’s WNBA Finals.

Except Sunday’s victory 76:62 it wasn’t exactly the moment Liberty had dreamed of.

They are three wins away from realizing this vision, and in a best-of-seven series against the Connecticut Sun or Minnesota Lynx, they may have home court advantage. The final series starts on Thursday.

“We made it to the finals last year,” Breanna Stewart said. “We didn’t do anything.”

The Liberty spent almost a 12 months making the most of a finals loss to a short-handed Las Vegas team, playing with a singular focus on establishing the best record in the league. Being two wins in need of a championship won’t be ok this 12 months.

While it was satisfying to beat the Aces, it wasn’t the title.

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Not only does last 12 months’s events hang in the shadow for Liberty, but there may be also a particularly close history of the organization. New York reached the Finals in three of the first 4 years of the league’s existence and lost to the Houston Comets every time. Two years later, Liberty lost to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Maybe this 12 months they may succeed.

One of the important benefits of ending the series against Las Vegas in 4 games was that New York had additional time to rest while the Sun and Lynx played a winner-take-all Game 5 on Tuesday. The winner will then should travel from Minneapolis.

“The playoff schedule is extremely condensed,” Stewart said. “If you go to the fifth match, you have one day to prepare for the first final match. This is crazy.”

Crazy may be an apt description for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which attracts large, energetic crowds stuffed with celebrities, including famous courtsider Spike Lee.

Now that the Liberty are back in the finals, you’ll be able to expect the hype to be even louder.

“I hope it’s sold out,” Stewart said. “I hope it’s 18,000. The home field advantage is really obvious, especially when you get to that point because it’s so loud you can’t hear it. “Especially for us in the third game, it was so loud here (in Las Vegas) that we couldn’t hear, and that’s hard on the road.”

Happy Friday, people. This week’s new music releases offer an exciting number of talent and collaborations across several genres.

Today, Victoria Monét continues her incredible yr with a deluxe edition , while Tee Grizzley delivers thrills featuring the likes of J. Cole, Tink and Fridayy, amongst others. A$AP Ferg, Future and Mike WiLL Made-It join forces on the electrifying “Allure,” and Leon Bridges returns along with his soulful self-titled album. Today’s list also includes releases from Kian Ledé, Jaden Smith, Lecrae and more.

You can try today’s new tracklist below.

Victoria Monét – “JAGUAR II: Deluxe”

The multi-talented Victoria Monét continues her successful run in 2024 with the discharge of a deluxe version of the Grammy-winning track JAGUAR. Stream JAGUAR II: Deluxe HERE.

Jaden – “STUPID”

Ahead of the upcoming EP 2024: A case study on the long-term effects of young loveJaden Smith releases his new single “DUMB”. Check it out HERE.

Kiana Ledé – “Space and P*ssy”

Kiana Ledé is preparing to release her third album, Cutting times. In the meantime, he gives fans the song “Space And Pussy”. Hear this HERE.

KAYTRANADA featuring Childish Gambino – “Witchy”

The DJ and producer released the music video for “Witchy” featuring Childish Gambino from his latest album on Wednesday Timeless. Watch the visualization HERE.

Lecrae ft. BEAM – “Lift Me Up”

Today, the 4-time Grammy winner released his new single and accompanying visual for “Lift Me Up” featuring New Orleans native BEAM. Watch the video HERE.

Leon Bridges – “Leon”

Today, Leon Bridges releases his long-awaited fourth studio release. Stream the 13-track album HERE.

Tee Grizzley – “Posttraumatic”

Tee Grizzley abandons his new project, which involves, amongst others, J.Cole, Future and more. Check out the album with 24 songs HERE.

A$AP Ferg, Future and Mike Will Made It – ‘Allure’

A$AP Ferg, Future and Mike WiLL Made-It team up for an brisk track titled “Allure.” Listen to this HERE.

Toosii – “JADED”

Rapper Toosii releases his album JADED today featuring GUNNA, Muni Long and Kehlani. Stream your project HERE.

Comedian Kevin Hart cannot escape his relationship with disgraced music executive Sean “Diddy” Combs after years of hanging out on the rapper’s super-exclusive parties, which is now at the middle of a serious criminal case that would land Diddy in prison for the remainder of his life.

As the stand-up comedian posted photos from a joint event with Airbnb and La La Anthony, which also works with Airbnb as a creative advisor, many emerging comedians like Funny Marco, Pretty Vee, Louuu Young and more could be seen in the photos.

Meanwhile, fans bombarded Hart’s comments section, demanding an evidence about his involvement in Diddy’s infamous parties. Some even wonder if he’ll be drawn into any of Combs’ legal dramas.

Hart post was a straightforward affair, sprinkled with his trademark humor: “What an amazing night filled with a room full of amazing talent!!!!! Thank you @airbnb and @lala for being amazing partners and thank you @LOUUUYOUNG @LEENDADONG @BENDADONNN @FUNNYMARCO @YESIMPRETTYVEE and @druski…. Druski was there, but I didn’t take a photo with him because of his outfit.”

Despite the skilled bribe, that did not stop fans from brutally calling Hart “Baby Oil Kev.”

One person asked him to compare the parties, saying: “Not so much funny as crazy huh Kevin.” Someone else said: “We the fans deserve an explanation Mr. Hart.”

A fourth comment asked, “Does your family know you’ve been to terrible ‘parties’?”

Another dissatisfied fan wrote: “No great comments just unfollow you I’m very disappointed.”

Several fans defended the comedian. When the commenter asked Hart to speak, the fan replied, “Why? 90 percent of all celebrities were at his party.

A second person shared this opinion, writing: “
Isn’t it funny how every little thing starts out superb after which suddenly something happens and now your image is flawed. I do know individuals are people. Kevin Hart wasn’t the just one attending these parties.

A 3rd fan described Hart’s experience as the value of fame, stating: “
The case of “guilt by association”. it’s unlucky because he could also be innocent.. the value of fame!!!”

Many people want the “Ride Along” actor to explain his relationship with Diddy, but as an alternative he avoids questions on their relationship.

Hart and his wife, Eniko, were recently out to dinner at LAVO in West Hollywood when a reporter approached him and asked, “Hey Kevin, when you were hosting for Diddy, did you grab any baby oil?” according to the Daily Mail.

Hart joked, “When did I host for Diddy? You are asking the wrong question to the wrong person.”

The notion that Hart, whose net price is estimated at $450 million, is closely linked to the Combs case stems from his friendship with the Bad Boy founder and two republished clips of him partying at notorious (and highly exclusive) parties.

In one video featuring Diddy, Usher Raymond and Hart, he jokes concerning the early days of the “U Remind Me” artist’s profession when he lived with Combs. In the early Nineteen Nineties, Usher was sent by his label LaFace to “Puffy Flavor Camp” in New York City so he could “see the lifestyle” and learn what was happening in the industry. The singer said he was exposed to an excessive amount of too soon under Diddy’s tutelage as a minor.

Sean “P Diddy” Combs tells Kevin Hart that he and R&B singer Usher used to get up and “wrestle” in the morning when Usher was just 10 years old pic.twitter.com/FMG7Sdxq2D

— Vision4theBlind (@Vision4theBlind) February 28, 2024

When he talked to Hart about it, they told a story about how they wrestled over Frosted Flakes.

In the second music video, Hart, Fabolous and Trey Hart are on the “Dirty Money” album release party. The clip also shows two women in bikinis and one “bald” naked in a hot tub.

This Diddy music video is crazy, lol.
But the funniest a part of this event is Kevin Hart’s response to setting a lady’s hair on fire 😂 pic.twitter.com/hMKDIqf0I2

— Kinetic Card ♠️♥️♣️♦️ (@TaurLee) January 21, 2024

The woman in the recent tub’s hair literally bursts into flames as Hart talks concerning the raunchy atmosphere and laughs on the outrage and debauchery of the evening.

Such parties and other nefarious behavior are at the guts of Diddy’s three-count indictment, which incorporates racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation for the aim of prostitution.

The tycoon accountable for the careers of hip-hop stars corresponding to The Notorious BIG, The LOX, Ma$ei Shyne, who was arrested on September 16 and was serving a sentence for the 1999 shooting at a New York nightclub where Diddy was present, witnessed an FBI raid for his two houses.

Agents say they confiscated videos, phones, firearms and 1,000 bottles of Johnson and Johnson baby oil and grease from the Combs homes. Multiple videos captured sex acts at parties, and baby oil and lubricant were allegedly kept for personal “freaks.”

Hart’s Airbnb meeting, which also featured Nick Cannon, was a really different form of meeting.

The ‘Jumaji’ actor works as: Airbnb iconhosting weekend parties at Coramino Live Lounge, his “secret restaurant” in Los Angeles, named after Gran Coramino, Hart’s tequila brand. These events are paying homage to the evening he organized with La La Anthony.

Always concerned about his brand and his ability to connect with firms like Airbnb, it’s no wonder he doesn’t mention his connection to Diddy. Fans should probably stop asking.