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Aces vs. Liberty highlights: How Las Vegas stormed to semifinal rout over New York

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2 months ago

October 4, 2024

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Aces vs. Liberty highlights: How Las Vegas stormed to semifinal rout over New York

The Las Vegas Aces’ season lives on.

With their backs against the wall and their three-peat on the line, the two-time defending champion Aces routed the New York Liberty 95-81 in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals at home at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

“This is an elimination game. I cannot sit down. That looks like giving up, that looks like quitting to me,” said A’ja Wilson, who played all 20 minutes of the first half. “I knew I had to come and be who my team needed to be out the gate … and make sure we knew what we needed to do at home.”

The first half of the game was closely contested, but the Aces outscored the Liberty 21-6 in the third quarter en route to a 14-point victory.

The Aces shot 52.1% from the field and 13 of 32 from 3, led by Jackie Young (24 points, six rebounds), Kelsey Plum (20 points, three rebounds) and Wilson (19 points, 14 rebounds). The Liberty, on the other hand, shot 38.8% from the field and 12 of 29 from 3.

The Aces will look to stave off elimination again in Game 4 on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. No team in WNBA playoff history has ever comeback from a 0-2 deficit (0-18). The Aces are looking for the WNBA’s first three-peat in more than two decades, when the now-defunct Houston Comets did so from 1997 to 2000.

Here’s how Game 3 between the Aces and Liberty went down:

ANALYSIS: Caitlin Clark’s record-setting rookie year is over. How much better can she get?

MORE: How many points did Caitlin Clark score in her rookie season? See all her stats

Aces guard Jackie Young scored a game-high 24 points to go with six rebounds and four assists in Las Vegas’ win over New York. Young scored 17 points in each of the Aces’ first two games against the Liberty.

Aces guard Kelsey Plum bounced back from a six-point performance in Game 2 against the Liberty to finish with 20 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Plum scored 24 points in Game 1, which included a 4-for-8 mark from beyond the arc. During the regular season, Plum averaged 17.8 points, 4.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.6 rebounds per game.

ANALYSIS: Las Vegas Aces need ‘edge’ to repeat as WNBA champs. Kelsey Plum is happy to provide it.

Mark Davis, who is also the owner of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, purchased the Aces in 2021.

First round

Sunday, Sept. 22:

Game 1: New York 83, Atlanta 69
Game 1: Connecticut 93, Indiana 69
Game 1: Minnesota 102, Phoenix 95
Game 1: Las Vegas 78, Seattle 67

Tuesday, Sept. 24:

Game 2: New York 91, Atlanta 82, Liberty win series 2-0
Game 2: Las Vegas 83, Seattle 76, Aces win series 2-0

Wednesday, Sept. 25

Game 2: Connecticut 87, Indiana 81, Sun win series 2-0
Game 2: Minnesota 101, Phoenix 88, Lynx win series 2-0

Semifinals

Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty

Game 1, Sept. 29: New York 87, Las Vegas 77
Game 2, Oct. 1: New York 88, Las Vegas 84
Game 3, Oct. 4: Las Vegas 95, New York 81, Liberty lead series 2-0
Game 4, Oct. 6: New York at Las Vegas, 3 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 5*, Oct. 8: Las Vegas at New York, TBD, ESPN2

Connecticut Sun vs. Minnesota Lynx

Game 1, Sept. 29: Connecticut 73, Minnesota 70
Game 2, Oct. 1: Minnesota 77, Connecticut 70
Game 3, Oct. 4: Minnesota 90, Connecticut 81, Lynx lead series 2-1
Game 4, Oct. 6: Minnesota at Connecticut, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 5*, Oct. 8: Connecticut at Minnesota, TBD, ESPN2
(* – If necessary; all times Eastern)

Sunday, Oct. 6

Game 4: Minnesota at Connecticut, TBA, Lynx lead series 2-1
Game 4: New York at Las Vegas, 3 p.m. ET, Liberty lead series 2-1

Tuesday, Oct. 8

Game 5: Connecticut at Minnesota, TBA (if necessary)
Game 5: Las Vegas at New York, TBA (if necessary)

WNBA Finals

Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 10
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday. Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 18 (if necessary)
Game 5: Sunday, Oct. 20 (if necessary)

Las Vegas lives to see another day. The Aces win Game 3 by the final of 95-81.

WNBA games have four 10-minute quarters.

After a close first half – which included the most lead changes in WNBA playoff history (18) – the Aces opened up a double-digit lead, 73-55, over the Liberty in hopes of forcing Game 4. A’ja Wilson already has a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, marking her 20th career playoff double-double. Kelsey Plum has a team-high 18 points, while Jackie Young added 16.

The Liberty were outscored 21-6 in the third quarter and had six turnovers, spurring a 17-0 Aces run to grab the largest lead of the game. The Liberty were scoreless for eight minutes of the third.

Breanna Stewart scored one point in the third, bringing her total to 15 points in the game, while Sabrina Ionescu remains scoreless.

A handful of NBA dignitaries are in Michelob ULTRA Arena tonight. The Dallas Mavericks are holding their training camp in Las Vegas, and players Luka Doncic and Derek Lively II are courtside next to coach Jason Kidd – and just a few seats down from the New York Liberty bench.

They don’t appear to be cheering for either the Aces or the Liberty, but they’ve already exchanged some “did-you-see-that?” looks with each other after players from each team have connected on some tough shots.

Las Vegas opened the third quarter on a 17-4 run and turned a three-point halftime lead into a 69-53 advantage against New York. A’ja Wilson is up to 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Jackie Young has 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Sandy Brondello is in her third season as coach of the Liberty, heading to New York after eight seasons in Phoenix, where she won the WNBA Finals in her first year (2014). Brondello led the Liberty to the WNBA Finals last season, when they lost to the Aces.

The Liberty’s 13th-year guard is making her presence felt off the bench against the Aces. During the first half, Courtney Vandersloot scored nine points to go with three rebounds and three assists. Only Breanna Stewart has scored more points for New York through the first half.

Las Vegas, which needed to win or stay home tonight, heads into intermission with a 52-49 lead. It was a tightly-contested first half, during which no team lead by more than four points at any time.

Aces’ superstar A’ja Wilson played the entire first half and recorded 13 points and eight rebounds, while Jackie Young added 13 points and four rebounds. The Aces are shooing 52.8% from the field and 7 of 14 on 3-pointers, but their transition defense can use some improvement: The Aces have conceded eight fast-break points.

Breanna Stewart has a game-high 14 points despite missing some easy layouts down the stretch. Sabrina Ionescu is still looking to get on the board (0 of 4 FG, 0 of 1 3PT), but she’s contributing in other ways with five assists, three rebounds and one block.

The Liberty are shooting 42.1% from the field and 7 of 14 from 3.

Talk about taking care of the ball. The Aces and Liberty combined for just five total turnovers – three for Vegas and two for New York – in the first half, a stat both coaches are sure to love.

After Game 2, Becky Hammon harped on all the layups the Liberty scored, furious that New York got so many easy looks at the rim. She said too many of those layups came after the Aces coughed up the ball, joking with a reporter that no one should ever take anything from you: In her team’s case, that means no one should ever take the ball from them. In the reporter’s case, Hammon said, no one should ever take their joy.

It was a rough last couple minutes of the first half for Breanna Stewart, who missed three easy looks, two of which came on excellent passes from Sabrina Ionescu. After her third consecutive miss, Stewart rolled her eyes and smiled. She knows she’s usually a guaranteed bucket from right feet and in. But she finished the half with 14 points, so it wasn’t all bad by any means. She’s got more points than anyone else in the game, but there’s no question she’ll be annoyed by her 5-of-11 shooting performance.

Liberty star guard Sabrina Ionescu did not score during the first half against the Aces, shooting 0 for 4 from the floor, including one 3-point attempt. Ionescu does, however, have five assists, three rebounds and a block.

Jonquel Jones is headed to the sideline after picking up her third foul in the second quarter. Jones was called for her second foul of the game with 4:12 remaining in the half, and five seconds later, she picked up her third. With 4:07 remaining in the second quarter, Jones was called for swiping A’ja Wilson in the face while attempting to contest Wilson’s layup. Jones has five points, three rebounds and one block so far. Jones isn’t the only one in foul trouble. Aces’ sixth player of the Year Tiffany Hayes and Alysha Clark also have three fouls.

Chelsea Gray’s nickname is the “point gawd” – and passes like this show why her teammates (and her competitors) are so complimentary of her play. The All-Star and Olympian already has four assists and, most importantly, no turnovers in this back-and-forth contest.

Las Vegas has the early 26-23 lead after the first quarter. The Aces came out with a sense of urgency. 2024 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson quickly scored seven points. Jackie Young added 10 first-quarter points, four rebounds and two assists, with the Aces shooting 50% from the field (10 of 20) and the 3-point line. (4 of 8). Sixth player of the Year Tiffany Hayes has seven points off the bench.

The Liberty withstood each punch the Aces threw. Breanna Stewart has a team-high seven points, while Jonquel Jones added five. The Liberty are shooting 43.1% (7 of 16) from the field and 42.9% from three (3 of 7).

When is Liberty at Aces Game 3?

The WNBA semifinal is scheduled for Friday in Paradise, Nevada.

What time is Liberty at Aces Game 3?

Opening tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET.

Where is Liberty at Aces Game 3?

The game will be played at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Paradise, Nevada.

How to watch Liberty at Aces Game 3

Game 3 of the best-of-five series will be on ESPN2. It can also be streamed on Fubo.

How to stream Liberty at Aces Game 3

Game 3 can be streamed on Fubo. In addition to local TV markets, the Liberty-Aces game also will be available on demand upon its conclusion on WNBA League Pass. Fans can get the WNBA League Pass by downloading the WNBA app.

The Minnesota Lynx are up 2-1 over the Connecticut Sun after taking Game 3 90-81 on the road. Napheesa Collier led the charge with a double-double – 26 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and one block. Courtney Williams added 14 points and the bench added 16 points. All but one Lynx starter finished the night in double digits.

The Sun came within seven points of the Lynx with 1:20 remaining in the contest, but Minnesota answered right back and rattled off four consecutive points en route to road win.

It was the story of the night. The Sun elevated their shooting throughout the game, but couldn’t slow down the Lynx’s offense. Minnesota shot 57.4% from the field, compared to the Sun’s 41.1%. It didn’t help that Connecticut struggled from beyond the arc and shot 15% from 3-pointers (3 of 20).

DeWanna Bonner is adding to her playoff legend. The Connecticut Sun star passed Candace Parker (1,149 points) to become second all-time in playoff points with a total of 1,150 points and counting. Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi, Bonner’s former teammate, is No. 1 on the list with 1,486 all-time playoff points. Bonner passed Parker in the third quarter of Game 3 vs. the Lynx, during which she has 13 points and eight rebounds so far.

Chelsea Gray
Kelsey Plum
Jackie Young
Alysha Clark
A’ja Wilson

Sabrina Ionescu
Leonie Fiebich
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
Breanna Stewart
Jonquel Jones

The Connecticut Sun came within eight points of the Minnesota Lynx, before the Lynx went on a 9-3 run to extend their lead back to double digits and close the third quarter up 68-54.

The Sun’s Marina Mabrey started to heat up and scored seven of her 11 points (5 of 15 from the field) to start the third, but she continued to struggle from beyond the arc (0 of 6). Collectively, the Sun are shooting 13.3% (2 of 15) on 3-pointers and have missed their past nine 3-point attempts.

Napheesa Collier is nearing a double-double with 18 points and seven rebounds. Courtney Williams has 14 points and six rebounds.

The first round of the WNBA playoffs is a best-of-three series.
The semifinals of the WNBA playoffs is a best-of-five series.
The WNBA Finals are a best-of-five series.

The Las Vegas Aces are on the brink of elimination. Not only do they have the 2024 WNBA MVP – A’ja Wilson – on their side, the Aces also have the sixth player of the year. Tiffany Hayes earned the honor Friday ahead of Game 3 between the Aces and Liberty. The feat is extra special for Hayes, considering she was retired at the beginning of the 2024 WNBA season. The Aces signed Hayes out of retirement in late May and she went on to average 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season.

“I love y’all. I’m really glad that I came here. I’ve been having the best time of my life,” Hayes said after Aces head coach Becky Hammon announced her award. “It’s our award.”

The already struggling Aces were dealt a tough hand earlier this week when they learned that 6-foot-3 center Kiah Stokes would be unavailable for Game 3.

Stokes collided with Liberty forward Jonquel Jones late in the third quarter of Game 2 as both went after a rebound. They knocked heads, and Stokes fell hard to the ground. She was down for a few minutes, and had to be helped to the locker room. She did not return to action in Game 2, and is officially in concussion protocol for the time being.

Stokes, who started 29 regular-season games this year, averages only 1.4 points, but she’s an important piece defensively for the Aces, particularly against a Liberty team that has considerable size inside with 6-foot-6 Jones and 6-foot-4 Breanna Stewart.

Game 3 between the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces will feature a matchup of some of the biggest superstars in the WNBA – and some of the league’s best subs.

While Aces guard Tiffany Hayes was named Sixth Woman of the Year, earning 38 of 67 first-place votes, the runner-up was Liberty rookie Leonie Fiebich, who finished with 21 votes.

Fiebich, a 24-year-old rookie from Germany, has been stellar for the Liberty this year and become a regular closer for New York. She averaged 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in the regular season, and played with the German national team in the Paris Olympics. She was named to the WNBA All-Rookie team earlier this week.

Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 10
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday. Oct. 16
Game 4*: Friday, Oct. 18
Game 5*: Sunday, Oct. 20
(* – If necessary; all times Eastern)

When Kelsey Plum started chirping at New York basketball super fan Spike Lee during Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, people who have watched Plum play knew what was coming: A scoring outburst. 

Known as one of the league’s best trash talkers, Plum told reporters afterward she couldn’t repeat what she and Lee said to each other, but that she encouraged him to “talk louder.” She erupted for 24 points to keep the Aces within striking distance.

The issue is that her backcourt mates didn’t match her output. And after Game 1, Plum didn’t care much about her personal stat line. The trio of guards – Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray – need to step up for the Aces to have a chance. Read the full story by Lindsay Schnell.

It’s a whole new ballgame after the Minnesota Lynx evened the semifinal playoff series against the Connecticut Sun, 1-1. Napheesa Collier exploded for eight of the Lynx’s 23 first-quarter points. Her efforts Friday nearly match her Game 2 total of nine points. Minnesota’s bench also came in clutch, scoring the Lynx’s final seven points of the quarter to go up 23-16.

The Sun are only shooting 38.9% (7 of 18) from the field, compared to Minnesota shooting 57.9% (11 of 19). DiJonai Carrington leads Connecticut with six points.

WNBA games have four 10-minute quarters.

First she was drafted No. 1 after re-writing the record books in college. Then she helped lift the WNBA to unprecedented heights with her logo 3s, did-you-see-that?! passing and habit of selling out every arena she walked into. Now, Caitlin Clark has capped a sensational inaugural professional season by winning the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. 

An Iowa alum, Clark won with 66 of 67 votes. She beat her biggest competition and college rival Angel Reese in the voting, a nod to Indiana’s success behind Clark and Clark’s eye-popping statistics and records in multiple categories. Reese, who led the WNBA in rebounding (13.1 per game), missed the last couple weeks of the regular season with a broken wrist. Reese received one vote. Read the full story by Lindsay Schnell.

The Lynx led by as many as 14 points in the first half and have a 46-34 lead over the Sun at halftime.

Napheesa Collier is having a bounce-back game. After struggling in Game 2 – scoring only nine points (3-of-14 FG, 1-of-4 3PT) – the All-Star and Olympian got off to a better start in Game 3 and scored 16 points in the first half on the road. Collier is the only player on either team in double digits.

As a whole, the Lynx are shooting 59.4% from the field (19 of 32), compared to the Sun shooting 34.1% (15 of 44). To add insult to injury, Connecticut is struggling from beyond the arc, shooting a dismal 2 of 11 from three. DeWanna Bonner has the Sun’s two lone 3-pointers on the night. Marina Mabrey, who is 0 of 5 from 3, has four points.

History is not on the Aces’ side. Teams that have dropped the first two games in a playoff series are 0-18 in WNBA history. Las Vegas, however, might have an ace in its pocket. The Aces have won their past 11 playoff games at home, which marks the longest streak in WNBA history.

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, the WNBA’s rookie of the year, made headlines all summer with her head-turning play. Revisit her accomplishments.

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