Las Vegas Aces suffered an unexpected setback in Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinal Playoff Series against New York LibertyLost 87-77 Sunday at Barclays Center. two-time defending champion After the winning streak came the long awaited rematch with New York. Liberty started Sunday’s game with a big lead. The Aces were struggling to regain the lead throughout the game.
“It’s a loss, that’s the only thing I really look at, there are a lot of things I feel I can do better individually and also collectively to help my teammates,” kelsey plum Said in the post-game conference.
Plum led the Aces with 24 points while A’ja Wilson offered 21 points. The back-to-back champions made a bold statement by wearing Wilson’s jersey on Sunday, snubbing the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. This season’s unanimous WNBA MVP, despite averaging 2.6 blocks and 1.8 steals per game, finished second.
Historically, the Aces have been flexible in playoff scenarios. They have trailed in the series only once in the last two years, and that instance was against Seattle, where they also started 0-1. However, circumstances were different. The Aces enjoyed the luxury of home court in that playoff round. This year, New York has home-court advantage.
“That part about home court advantage is really important,” Liberty said. Sabrina Ionescu After Sunday’s win over the Aces.
“You have these fans that are behind you, which makes it really hard to play for other teams.”
Spike Lee was one of the fans in the crowd who exchanged words with Plum during the game. The energy was palpable at the Barclay Center, adding to the Liberty’s sense of urgency as they looked to avenge last season’s finals loss to the Aces.
The long-awaited Aces-Liberty rematch
Sunday’s matchup marked a long-awaited rematch of last season’s WNBA Finals, where the Aces emerged victorious in four games. The Liberty entered this season with a clear goal: avenge that loss and capture the WNBA Championship.
“We came out, it’s Game 1, we wanted to play with a sense of urgency and protect our home court,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said.
And that’s why they did it. New York came out stronger from the jump, Leading 28-21 after first quarterLiberty star Breanna Stewart had 20 points in the first 20 minutes and finished with 34 points to lead her team to the win. Ionescu finished behind Stewart with 21 points.
Both teams entered the series with impressive momentum, having defeated their first round opponents. However, the Liberty have the best record in the league this season and have earned the top seed in the playoffs. The Aces have won nine of their last 10 games before the postseason before defeating Seattle in the opening round. The only loss during that period was to New York.
The Liberty won all three games away from Las Vegas during the regular season and the last win came three weeks earlier in New York when Wilson was out with an injured foot. No doubt, the Aces knew they were in for a challenge, but a shaky start to the first quarter crushed them, as is so often the case.
“You’re trying to dig a hole the whole time,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said in the press after the game.
“This is not the way you want to start, especially on the road. You have a lot of things that can suit you. But this time it did not happen.”
New York’s great attack and defense
A weak first quarter continues to plague the Aces, but they have been known to bounce back. This time, with New York’s impeccable attack and defence, it was a challenge for the 2x champions to close the gap.
The Aces’ core four players led the way on the boards for Las Vegas, with Young contributing 17 points, two assists and two rebounds. Wilson also offered five assists and six rebounds, with Plum providing four and two, respectively. But, Stewart was difficult to handle. He made eight of his 10 shots in the first half.
“Personally, I just wanted to come out and set the tone, be aggressive and really take what the defense was giving me,” Steward said during the post-game conference.
Stewart scored half of his three points. Ionescu finished the game with five assists and four rebounds. New York star Jonquel Jones had 13 points and 12 rebounds. The combination of the three were formidable opponents for the back-to-back champions, who struggled to break down Liberty’s wall, ultimately succumbing to their relentless pressure.
“Their defense was very good tonight,” Hammon said after Sunday’s loss.
“You have to make shots against this team. They’re very good defensively and offensively so you’ve got to create openings.”
While the offense was at its peak, New York’s defense was also suffocating the Aces. There were at least three to four players on Wilson at all times, giving the unanimous MVP no chance to shine. Liberty finished the second quarter on an 11-4 run and led by ten at halftime. It was like chasing a target for the rest of the game. Las Vegas stayed ahead and trailed only 75-67 in the fourth before Ionescu scored a three, turning quickly and pointing to an excited Spike Lee.
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Kelsey Plum and Liberty superfan Spike Lee exchange words
Midway through the competition, Plum managed to keep the atmosphere lively, engaging in playful banter with Spike Lee, who was wearing a Sabrina Ionescu jersey. Spike Lee can be seen hitting the plum.
“I told him he should talk louder,” Plum joked during the postgame press conference.
The back and forth between the film extraordinaire and the Ace star showcased the fun side of the fierce rivalry. The two can be seen hugging before the start of the game.
All the fun ended, and the Aces were unable to recover after Ionescu’s Spike Lee-inspired 3-pointer. The 77-87 loss comes with tension as the back-to-back champions could be the end of the road for them. But, defeat always brings a lesson.
“We’ve got to start better,” Plum said after Sunday’s loss in New York. “The coach can say a lot of different things, but it’s up to the players to work hard.”
“For me, it’s a do-or-die case,” Hammon said in Sunday’s postgame press conference.
Game 2 of the best-of-5 matchup is Tuesday in New York. The start time for Game 2 of the semifinal series is to be announced.
(Tags to translate)Kelsey Plum(T)Las Vegas Aces(T)New York Liberty(T)Sabrina Ionescu(T)WNBA Playoffs