After profitable final 12 months’s WNBA title over New York, the Las Vegas Aces mocked the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart from their championship parade stage, annoyed that Stewart was voted MVP a season in the past over their star, A’Ja Wilson.
Poke one of many all-time greats at your personal threat.
Stewart was the most effective participant on the courtroom by far Sunday, dropping 34 factors on 12-of-19 capturing with 5 rebounds in opposition to the Aces, sparking the Liberty to an 83-73 Recreation 1 win at dwelling of their semi-finals sequence opener.
New York leads the best-of-five sequence 1-0, with Recreation 2 on Tuesday in Brooklyn.
“Sadly, I had quite a lot of time to mirror on final 12 months’s postseason…” Stewart mentioned postgame. “How can I deal with issues collectively higher?… Final time wasn’t my most proudest, however I’ll proceed to be higher now.”
Stewart confirmed off her positionless play on this sport, one thing few if some other WNBA stars can match. Normally an enormous who performs the 4/5, Stewart performed this sport in additional of a point-forward function out high initiating the offense and draining 3s. The Aces didn’t have a solution.
It wasn’t all Stewart. Sabrina Ionescu scored 21, together with three 3-pointers that helped change the sport.
Jonquel Jones matched up nicely with the Aces Wilson inside, scoring 13 factors with a dozen rebounds. With Stewart out extra on the perimeter, the Liberty have been in a position to isolate Jones in spots she desires the ball and it confirmed.
Kelsey Plum, who was an actual downside for the Liberty in final season’s Finals, scored 22 to guide Las Vegas. Wilson added 19 factors with six rebounds and 5 assists, whereas Jackie Younger scored 17.
This felt like a playoff sport in New York with Spike Lee curtsied — and jawing at Plum at factors — and Tracy Morgan within the constructing.
New York got here out pressuring the ball out excessive, trying to gradual Aces tempo, not letting them get into their offense.
The Aces dealt with the stress and shot 47.1% within the first quarter, however the Liberty offense was on hearth behind 11 first-quarter factors from Stewart, it shot 68.8% and went on an 8-0 run at one level to take an 11-point lead. Las Vegas chipped away at that lead, however it was nonetheless 28-21 after one quarter and New York appeared in management.
Las Vegas answered the defensive stress within the second quarter, went on a 7-0 run of its personal to make it a two-point sport at one level. Stewart ended that run with an and-1 of her personal and New York responded with an 8-0 run of its personal, pushing the lead again out to as many as 12. That lead was 48-38 on the half, and the wildest stat of the primary 20 minutes was that the Aces have been -17 with their MVP Wilson on the courtroom.
Early in third, New York stretched its lead out to 18, however Las Vegas responded like a champion with an 12-0 run— fueled by Liberty turnovers — to make it a sport once more. However the Liberty responded — and that might be the theme of the sport. Each time the Aces made a push, the Liberty pushed again tougher. New York’s improved depth this season confirmed.
The stress falls to the defending champions now — go down 0-2 to this Liberty group on Tuesday in a best-of-five sequence and that will likely be too massive a mountain to climb. Las Vegas wants to reply like champions and win.
Breanna Stewart will likely be prepared for them.
