It took six tries however the Las Vegas Aces lastly beat the New York Liberty for the first time this 12 months. And now the Aces' quest to three-peat stays alive.
Facing an elimination game Friday in the WNBA semifinals, the Aces scored 16 unanswered factors in the third quarter to put the game out of attain in a 95-81 victory. The Aces led by as many as 25, marking the first time both staff had reached a 20-point lead in the collection.
After the game, the Aces insisted they are not getting too snug or assured — in spite of everything, the staff is down 2-1 and faces one other elimination game Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC). But Friday appeared like a potential turning level — the Aces lastly cracked the code against the Liberty, limiting Sabrina Ionescu to 4 factors and getting a higher offensive evening from their total backcourt.
Friday's video games had been all about momentum. In the earlier semifinal, Minnesota made a assertion as nicely with a 90-81 highway win over the Connecticut Sun — the Lynx's second straight victory in the collection — to transfer one win away from their first Finals look since 2017. Finding success on each ends of the ground, the Lynx led comfortably most of the game, together with by double figures in a lot of the fourth quarter.
ESPN seems at how the Aces staved off elimination, how the Lynx (up 2-1) gained on the highway and the way Sunday's Game 4s may play out.
Liberty lead best-of-five collection 2-1
Third quarter makes all the distinction
At halftime Friday, the Aces had been up three factors but it surely felt like anybody's game. There had been 18 lead adjustments at the half, per Elias Sports Bureau, a WNBA playoff document. Even with the Liberty dealing with their first halftime deficit of the collection, it appeared they might nonetheless come away with the sweep in the event that they acquired Sabrina Ionescu going (0-for-4 in the first 20 minutes).
The Aces made a assertion in the third quarter with their greatest 10 minutes of the collection, asserting their will on each ends. A 16-0 run helped Las Vegas dominate the interval 21-6. In the interval, a discombobulated New York had the similar quantity of factors because it did turnovers and recorded its lowest-scoring playoff quarter since the WNBA adopted the format in 2006. The Aces' 16 unanswered factors marked the second-longest scoring run against the Liberty this season.
With the house crowd waving white rally towels and getting louder with every back-breaking Las Vegas 3-pointer in that stretch, it felt like this was the reemergence of the two-time defending champion Aces squad that had solely appeared in flashes this season — and hadn't beforehand made its presence identified this collection. And possibly, simply possibly, they're right here to stay. — Alexa Philippou
Aces shut down Ionescu
After Ionescu starred throughout the first two video games of the collection in Brooklyn, scoring a mixed 45 factors on 18-of-33 taking pictures, she did not get on the scoreboard till the fourth quarter of Game 3. Ionescu completed with 4 factors — her fewest ever in a playoff game — on 1-of-7 from the area.
Before Game 3, ESPN's Carolyn Peck known as for Las Vegas to lure Ionescu, a transfer that appeared dangerous against a expert passer. The Aces managed to take Ionescu out of the offense without having to make the most of such aggressive protection. Ionescu's seven shot makes an attempt had been her fewest in any game throughout the common season and playoffs, and her 5 assists had been the similar whole as in Games 1 and a pair of.
Per ESPN Research, Jackie Young was simpler defending Ionescu as nicely. After Ionescu made 7 of 10 photographs when defended by Young in the first two video games, she missed each such makes an attempt Friday. — Kevin Pelton
Setting tone from the tip
The Aces had been annoyed by their 11 first-half turnovers in Game 2. Chelsea Gray identified what a huge distinction that made in what ended up being simply a four-point New York victory.
On Friday, Las Vegas was extra locked in and took care of the ball from the begin. The Aces had simply three turnovers in the first half. And regardless that they completed with 12 — the similar quantity that they had in Game 2 — the Aces executed higher general. — Michael Voepel
Can the Aces play as successfully on protection in Game 4?
That looks like the largest key for the Aces, as a result of what they did Friday actually labored. By the similar token, Ionescu mentioned after the game that the good factor is the Liberty now have a day to react to what the Aces did — primarily throwing three defenders at her at each probability — and decide methods to fight that.
“We were able to see it; that was their adjustment,” Ionescu mentioned. “Now we're able to watch film and figure out what we need to do to be better. Both teams continue to tweak things, and I think it kind of opened our eyes a little bit to what they're going to do in the next game.” — Voepel
Lynx lead best-of-five collection 2-1
Lynx beat Sun at their very own game
During the common season, Minnesota ranked final in the WNBA in factors in the paint, averaging 28.1, and as an alternative let it fly from 3-point vary. Meanwhile, Connecticut completed fourth in factors in the paint (38.5) and allowed the fewest of any staff (33.8). So it was no shock the Sun gained the points-in-the-paint battle throughout the first two video games of this collection, together with a 38-30 edge in their Game 2 loss.
That flipped in a huge method Friday, when the Lynx's 48 factors in the paint crushed their earlier season excessive (40). Minnesota completed that primarily with robust ball and participant motion. Of the staff's 19 layups, 14 had been assisted (74%), and in accordance to Second Spectrum monitoring, eight of these got here off cuts. That's tied for the second-most layups off cuts in any WNBA game throughout the common season and playoffs. — Pelton
Defense doomed Sun
Toward the finish of the game, ESPN play-by-play announcer Pam Ward mentioned of Minnesota, “This team firing on all cylinders is a thing of beauty.” Firing on all cylinders describes precisely what occurred in Game 3 for the Lynx, who shot 57.4% from the area. After scoring 28 factors throughout the first two video games of the collection, Napheesa Collier paced all gamers with 26 on Friday, whereas Courtney Williams (16 factors, 8 assists) registered her first profession playoff game with at the very least 15 factors and eight assists.
For the defensive-minded Sun, which means issues went disastrously flawed on that finish of the ground. It was by far the worst taking pictures share Connecticut has allowed in any game this season (the earlier excessive was 51.7% against New York on June 8). And with Marina Mabrey having an off evening from the 3-point arc (she missed her first 9 makes an attempt and completed 1-for-11), Connecticut could not sustain. The Sun want to get again to their bodily, relentless defensive id, at a minimal, to preserve the Lynx from discovering an offensive rhythm — and to preserve their season alive. — Philippou
Can Connecticut keep away from a repeat of 2023?
In final 12 months's WNBA semifinals, the Sun gained Game 1 against the Liberty on the highway solely to lose the subsequent three video games and the collection. Now, Connecticut is a loss away from historical past repeating itself.
Per ESPN Research, no staff in addition to the Sun has misplaced a number of best-of-five collection after successful Game 1. It has occurred twice for Connecticut: final 12 months and in the 2020 semifinals against the Aces in the “Wubble” neutral-site setting, a collection the Sun led 1-0 and 2-1 earlier than dropping in 5 video games. — Pelton
