In a rematch of final 12 months’s WNBA Finals, the New York Liberty host the Las Vegas Aces for Sport 1 of the Semi-Finals, on Sunday at 3pm ET. The Liberty have been the No. 1 seed for a lot of the 12 months, ending the season with a league-best 32-8 document, whereas the Aces overcame a sluggish begin to final safe the No. 4 seed, posting a 27-13 document on the 12 months. Each groups swept their best-of-three first spherical collection, with the Liberty beating the Dream in back-to-back video games, and the Aces defeating the Storm.
The Liberty took all three common season video games this season, however the Aces received the Finals at their fingers in September, so there’s no clear favourite going into this one. On one hand, New York has been probably the most dominant crew this season and is kicking issues off with two video games at Barclay’s Middle, however on the opposite, it’s laborious to depend out the back-to-back champions. The Aces are going for the primary three peat because the league’s inception.
Let’s check out 5 issues to look at for forward of Sport 1.
Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson — how will the MVPs fare?
For years now, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson have dominated the WNBA. Stewart (two MVPs, two championships) and Wilson (three MVPs, two championships) are associates off the court docket, however have an extended historical past of enjoyable postseason clashes. Final 12 months, Wilson received the higher hand, main her Aces crew to a 3-1 Finals victory, whereas Stewart averaged 16.3 factors per recreation within the Finals, nearly 7 factors lower than her common season common.
Stewie has had an important second half to the season, and appears to be again in MVP type, however whether or not she will be able to sustain with Wilson’s manufacturing will assist decide the result of this collection. A’ja Wilson has had a historic WNBA season, averaging 26.9 factors, 11.9 rebounds, and a couple of.6 blocks per recreation, and was unanimously named MVP final week. Each gamers are going to place up quantity, however who comes out on prime on this match-up of all-time greats could possibly be the distinction
Sabrina Ionescu: can she sustain this postseason manufacturing?
Sabrina Ionescu has been vital to this Liberty crew’s success. Till a late-season taking pictures stoop, she was (considerably) within the MVP dialog, and Aces head coach Becky Hammon really blasted media for not together with her of their First Staff All-WNBA ballots.
Ionescu shot 18% within the ultimate three video games of the common season to cap off a post-Olympic break that noticed her taking pictures simply 33% from the sector. However, she quelled any considerations about her taking pictures with a large Sport 2 efficiency during which she exploded for 36 factors on 12-23 taking pictures, tied for a franchise document for many factors in a playoff recreation.
She’ll should face higher defenders on this one — Jackie Younger is without doubt one of the hardest guard defenders within the league and can seemingly have the Ionescu match-up at instances, and the Aces have made Ionescu’s life troublesome earlier than. However, her recreation has advanced because the two groups confronted off final fall, and if she will be able to proceed her postseason explosion, the Liberty turn out to be rather more troublesome to include.
Las Vegas Aces guard play: which Jackie Younger, Chelsea Grey, and Kelsey Plum will we see?
Becky Hammon has famous repeatedly how vital the Aces’ guard play is for the groups success. In spite of everything, it is a backcourt that features three U.S. Olympians — together with a Finals MVP (Chelsea Grey) and two type former No. 1 picks (Jackie Younger, Kelsey Plum).
Grey missed the primary 12 video games of the common season after recovering from a foot damage she suffered in final 12 months’s playoffs, and it took her some time to get again into type. However, her teammates have pressured she’s again in full type, which suggests she’s one of the vital necessary gamers within the league.
Within the first two video games of the 2024 postseason, she again within the swing of issues. Grey averaged 14 factors and eight assists throughout two wins towards the Storm, prompting Kelsey Plum to sing her teammate’s praises.
“Lots of people put up numbers — and that’s no fault of them,” Plum stated. “However Chelsea impacts successful. Ask any participant within the league, any high-level participant, I assure they need Chelsea Grey on their crew with 5 minutes left.”
Kelsey Plum with excessive reward for Chelsea Grey postgame:
“Lots of people put up numbers — and that’s no fault of them. However Chelsea impacts successful. Ask any participant within the league, any high-level participant, I assure they need Chelsea Grey on their crew with 5 minutes left.” pic.twitter.com/P0pLW1a7Z7
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) September 25, 2024
In the meantime, Plum herself bounced again after a two-point Sport 1 exhibiting, posting 29 factors on 11-15 taking pictures within the deciding Sport 2. Younger has been quiet because the Olympic break, and has averaged simply 10.5 factors on 34.8% taking pictures in two playoff wins. She’ll have her fingers full defensively on this one, but when she will be able to hit open photographs (as she has for almost all of her profession) that helps too.
The function gamers: Leonie Fiebich, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Tiffany Hayes, Alysha Clark
This recreation is as star-studded as any WNBA matchup, boasting three former MVPs and eight Paris Olympians. However, the function gamers will probably be vital, too. The Liberty have a number of the finest within the recreation, and the Aces have the almost certainly Sixth Participant of the 12 months candidate in Tiffany Hayes. Hayes averaged 9.2 factors on 50.3% taking pictures this season, and was huge within the first spherical of the playoffs, averaging 14.5 factors on 63.2% taking pictures, together with 75% from three.
For the Liberty, Leonie Fiebich was efficient off the bench all 12 months, however was even higher as a starter, and now, head coach Sandy Brondello appears to love her match within the beginning lineup rather than Courtney Vandersloot. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton can also be probably the greatest two-way gamers within the recreation, and appears to be wholesome after lacking a number of weeks attributable to knee surgical procedure. Fiebich and Hayes are the one major rotation gamers who weren’t on final 12 months’s rosters, and their output will probably be vital.
“New York is quite a bit higher than they have been final 12 months. Simply plain and easy,” Plum stated. “They’re greater, they shoot the ball at a greater clip. In case you go down the road, pound for pound individually, all of them are higher basketball gamers.”
Which Jonquel Jones are we getting?
Jonquel Jones will be probably the most dominant put up participant within the league. The Former MVP has been the x-factor in earlier wins towards the Aces — in June, she exploded for 34 factors and eight rebounds in a 90-82 win over Las Vegas. However, she’s additionally had video games the place she’s been much more stop, trying just some photographs and never exerting herself within the inside. Jone should be her finest self on this one, and she or he was a giant cause why the Liberty even had an opportunity in final 12 months’s finals towards the Aces. Dialog round New York’s success usually facilities round Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, however Jonquel Jones has the aptitude to be probably the most dominant participant on the ground at any second.
