They meet once more: Three keys to Liberty-Aces WNBA semifinals conflict

It was inevitable, wasn’t it?

The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces will meet once more within the WNBA playoffs. Solely this time, it is within the semifinals, 11 months after the Aces beat the Liberty within the WNBA Finals.

High-seeded New York hosts No. 4 seed and two-time defending champion Las Vegas in a best-of-five collection beginning Sunday. Each groups superior after sweeping their first-round opponents Tuesday.

The Aces struggled simply sufficient for elements of the common season to finish up because the fourth seed. Nevertheless it makes for a blockbuster collection that includes the previous two MVPs: Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson and New York’s Breanna Stewart.

The Aces hit their low level after a 90-82 loss to New York on June 15 in Las Vegas; they have been 6-6 at that time. Wilson vowed within the postgame information convention that issues would get higher. Whereas there have been nonetheless some ups and downs, the Aces have regarded like themselves in latest weeks. They completed the common season profitable 9 of their previous 10 video games, after which swept the fifth-seeded Seattle Storm 2-0 within the first spherical.

New York has the league’s greatest regular-season report (32-8) and defeated the No. 8 seed Atlanta Dream 2-0. The Liberty additionally swept the regular-season collection with the Aces 3-0.

Wilson and Stewart have been teammates and the highest gamers for Staff USA, which gained its seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal on the Paris Video games. Stewart, 30, and Wilson, 28, have 5 MVP awards between them and every have two WNBA titles.

Stewart gained her championships with Seattle in 2018 and 2020, and got here as a free agent to New York final season. The narrative of 2023 was Las Vegas and New York as “superteams,” and so they lived as much as it with a Finals matchup that the Aces gained 3-1.

Now, we are going to see which one makes it to the 2024 Finals. ESPN takes a take a look at the upcoming high-wattage collection.

Can the Aces reverse how dominant the Liberty have been of their regular-season conferences?

Voepel: Sure, as a result of the Aces at the moment are taking part in extra just like the Aces who gained the previous two titles, not the workforce that misplaced 13 regular-season video games. As Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon stated simply earlier than the primary spherical when requested about taking the temperature of her workforce: “I believe the temperature is rising.”

Hammon pointed to the Aces’ 93-90 loss on the Dallas Wings on Aug. 27 as significantly galling; Las Vegas gave up 32 factors within the fourth quarter.

“I simply sort of went loopy,” Hammon stated of going off on her workforce’s protection after the loss.

The Aces responded, and it marked a turning level. They’ve misplaced simply as soon as since: 75-71 on Sept. 8 at New York, when Wilson missed the sport with an ankle damage.

The Aces can take a look at their losses to the Liberty this manner: Level guard Chelsea Gray was nonetheless out for the primary one (she returned June 19) and Wilson missed the third. Within the Aces’ 79-67 loss to the Liberty on Aug. 17, guard Jackie Young performed however was a shadow of herself, coping with sickness and capturing 1-for-8 from the sector for 4 factors.

None of that is meant to decrease the Liberty’s victories or make excuses for Las Vegas. However the Aces are a greater, extra full workforce now than they have been for any of these video games.

Each groups had a number of gamers step up within the first spherical. What’s the important thing matchup on this collection?

Creme: In a collection loaded with stars and intriguing particular person matchups, the Younger-Sabrina Ionescu battle may be the one that the majority shifts the end result. Nevertheless it’s notable that Younger did not play to her stage in any of the three regular-season conferences with New York. She averaged 8.7 factors on 32.3% capturing in opposition to the Liberty (she averaged 15.8 PPG and shot 43% on the season). Even with the Aces now complete, with their Massive 4 all lively and wholesome, it is important that Younger carry out higher in opposition to New York.

And never simply offensively. Younger will possible be matched up in opposition to Ionescu on protection within the semifinals. Given how nice Ionescu was within the collection clincher in opposition to Atlanta — 36 factors and 9 assists — the Aces will want Younger’s greatest on the defensive finish of the ground as effectively.

Till Tuesday, Ionescu had been struggling. Within the three video games prior, together with the playoff opener, she was a mixed 9-of-35 from the sector and totaled 21 factors. However she modified her momentum Tuesday.

Younger was strong on the finish of the common season as Las Vegas made a run on the No. 3 seed. Nonetheless, she was quiet Tuesday — 3-for-10 from the sector for 9 factors, although she additionally added 9 rebounds and 5 assists — as Wilson (24 factors, 13 rebounds), Kelsey Plum (29 factors, 11-of-15 from the sector) and Grey (12 factors, 9 assists) had huge nights. To beat the 2024 model of the Liberty, Las Vegas wants all 4 scoring.

What can we count on from one other Wilson-Stewart showdown?

Voepel: Final season, Stewart gained a tightly contested three-way race for MVP, with Wilson third. However Wilson was the dominant winner of WNBA Finals MVP; she averaged 23.8 factors, 11.8 rebounds and a couple of.3 blocks within the Aces’ 9 playoff video games.

Stewart did not totally appear to be herself within the playoffs final season. She nonetheless averaged 18.4 factors and 10.2 rebounds within the Liberty’s 10 playoff video games, however she shot simply 35.8% from the sector and 19.6% from behind the arc.

Hammon stated Tuesday after the Aces’ Recreation 2 victory over Seattle that she thought the Liberty had been taking part in with an edge all this season after the frustration of shedding the Finals final yr. For Stewart particularly, this postseason may really feel significantly huge as a result of, let’s face it, she left Seattle to win a championship in her house state. She needs that badly.

By the identical token, Wilson’s hearth has been blazing all this season as a result of she needed to show definitely she was the MVP. So we have got two superstars who’re very motivated. And it is not that there aren’t numerous vital shifting elements round them (most notably one other former MVP in Liberty ahead Jonquel Jones).

Nevertheless it seems like numerous this collection may nonetheless come all the way down to whomever can impose her will probably the most between Wilson and Stewart.