WNBA playoffs 2024: Liberty, Aces to meet in semifinals
The New York Liberty WNBA playoffs. Only this.
and Las Vegas Aces time, its in the.
will meet again in semifinals, 11 months after.
the WNBA playoffs. Only the Aces beat the.
this time, it's in Liberty in the WNBA.
the semifinals, 11 months Finals. Top-seeded New York.
after the Aces beat hosts No. 4 seed.
the Liberty in the and two-time defending champion.
WNBA Finals. Top-seeded New York Las Vegas in a.
hosts No. 4 seed best-of-five series starting Sunday..
and two-time defending champion Both teams advanced after.
Las Vegas in a sweeping their first-round opponents.
best-of-five series starting Sunday. Tuesday. The Aces struggled.
Both teams advanced after just enough for parts.
sweeping their first-round opponents of the regular season.
Tuesday. The Aces struggled just to end up as.
enough for parts of the fourth seed. But.
the regular season to it makes for a.
end up as the blockbuster series featuring the.
fourth seed. But it past two MVPs: Las.
makes for a blockbuster Vegas Aja Wilson and.
series featuring the past New Yorks Breanna Stewart..
two MVPs: Las Vegas' The Aces hit their.
A'ja Wilson and New low point after a.
York's Breanna Stewart. The Aces 90-82 loss to New.
hit their low point York on June 15.
after a 90-82 loss in Las Vegas; they.
to New York on were 6-6 at that.
June 15 in Las point. Wilson vowed in.
Vegas; they were 6-6 the postgame news conference.
at that point. Wilson that things would get.
vowed in the postgame better. While there were.
news conference that things still some ups and.
would get better. While downs, the Aces have.
there were still some looked like themselves in.
ups and downs, the recent weeks. They finished.
Aces have looked like the regular season winning.
themselves in recent weeks. nine of their past.
They finished the regular 10 games, and then.
season winning nine of swept the fifth-seeded Seattle.
their past 10 games, Storm 2-0 in the.
and then swept the first round. New York.
fifth-seeded Seattle Storm 2-0 has the leagues best.
in the first round. New regular-season record (32-8) and.
York has the league's defeated the No. 8.
best regular-season record (32-8) seed Atlanta Dream 2-0..
and defeated the No. The Liberty also swept.
8 seed Atlanta Dream the regular-season series with.
2-0. The Liberty also the Aces 3-0. Wilson.
swept the regular-season series and Stewart were teammates.
with the Aces 3-0. Wilson and the top players.
and Stewart were teammates for Team USA, which.
and the top players won its seventh consecutive.
for Team USA, which Olympic gold medal at.
won its seventh consecutive the Paris Games. Stewart,.
Olympic gold medal at 30, and Wilson, 28,.
the Paris Games. Stewart, have five MVP awards.
30, and Wilson, 28, between them and each.
have five MVP awards have two WNBA titles..
between them and each Stewart won her championships.
have two WNBA titles. Stewart with Seattle in 2018.
won her championships with and 2020, and came.
Seattle in 2018 and as a free agent.
2020, and came as to New York last.
a free agent to season. The narrative of.
New York last season. 2023 was Las Vegas.
The narrative of 2023 and New York as.
was Las Vegas and superteams, and they lived.
New York as "superteams," up to it with.
and they lived up a Finals matchup that.
to it with a the Aces won 3-1..
Finals matchup that the Now, we will see.
Aces won 3-1. Now, we which one makes it.
will see which one to the 2024 Finals..
makes it to the ESPN takes a look.
2024 Finals. ESPN takes at the upcoming high-wattage.
a look at the series Can the Aces.
upcoming high-wattage series Voepel: Yes, because the Aces are.
because the Aces are now playing more like.
now playing more like the Aces who won.
the Aces who won the past two titles,.
the past two titles, not the team that.
not the team that lost 13 regular-season games..
lost 13 regular-season games. As Las Vegas coach.
As Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said just.
Becky Hammon said just before the first round.
before the first round when asked about taking.
when asked about taking the temperature of her.
the temperature of her team: I think the.
team: "I think the temperature is rising. Hammon.
temperature is rising." Hammon pointed pointed to the Aces.
to the Aces' 93-90 93-90 loss at the.
loss at the Dallas Dallas Wings on Aug..
Wings on Aug. 27 27 as particularly galling;.
as particularly galling; Las Las Vegas gave up.
Vegas gave up 32 32 points in the.
points in the fourth fourth quarter. I just.
quarter. "I just kind of kind of went crazy,.
went crazy," Hammon said Hammon said of going.
of going off on off on her teams.
her team's defense after defense after the loss..
the loss. The Aces responded, The Aces responded, and.
and it marked a it marked a turning.
turning point. They've lost point. Theyve lost just.
just once since: 75-71 once since: 75-71 on.
on Sept. 8 at Sept. 8 at New.
New York, when Wilson York, when Wilson missed.
missed the game with the game with an.
an ankle injury. The Aces ankle injury. The Aces.
can look at their can look at their.
losses to the Liberty losses to the Liberty.
this way: Point guard this way: Point guard.
Chelsea Gray was still Chelsea Gray was still.
out for the first out for the first.
one (she returned June one (she returned June.
19) and Wilson missed 19) and Wilson missed.
the third. In the the third. In the.
Aces' 79-67 loss to Aces 79-67 loss to.
the Liberty on Aug. the Liberty on Aug..
17, guard Jackie Young 17, guard Jackie Young.
played but was a played but was a.
shadow of herself, dealing shadow of herself, dealing.
with illness and shooting with illness and shooting.
1-for-8 from the field 1-for-8 from the field.
for 4 points. None of for 4 points. None.
this is meant to of this is meant.
diminish the Liberty's victories to diminish the Libertys.
or make excuses for victories or make excuses.
Las Vegas. But the for Las Vegas. But.
Aces are a better, the Aces are a.
more complete team now better, more complete team.
than they were for now than they were.
any of those games. Creme: In a series in this series? Creme:.
loaded with stars and In a series loaded.
intriguing individual matchups, the with stars and intriguing.
Young-Sabrina Ionescu battle might individual matchups, the Young-Sabrina.
be the one that Ionescu battle might be.
most shifts the outcome. the one that most.
But it's notable that shifts the outcome. But.
Young didn't play to its notable that Young.
her level in any didnt play to her.
of the three regular-season level in any of.
meetings with New York. the three regular-season meetings.
She averaged 8.7 points with New York. She.
on 32.3% shooting against averaged 8.7 points on.
the Liberty (she averaged 32.3% shooting against the.
15.8 PPG and shot Liberty (she averaged 15.8.
43% on the season). PPG and shot 43%.
Even with the Aces on the season). Even.
now whole, with their with the Aces now.
Big Four all active whole, with their Big.
and healthy, it's essential Four all active and.
that Young perform better healthy, its essential that.
against New York. And not Young perform better against.
just offensively. Young will New York. And not.
likely be matched up just offensively. Young will.
against Ionescu on defense likely be matched up.
in the semifinals. Given against Ionescu on defense.
how great Ionescu was in the semifinals. Given.
in the series clincher how great Ionescu was.
against Atlanta -- 36 in the series clincher.
points and 9 assists against Atlanta -- 36.
-- the Aces will points and 9 assists.
need Young's best at -- the Aces will.
the defensive end of need Youngs best at.
the floor as well. Until the defensive end of.
Tuesday, Ionescu had been the floor as well..
struggling. In the three Until Tuesday, Ionescu had.
games prior, including the been struggling. In the.
playoff opener, she was three games prior, including.
a combined 9-of-35 from the playoff opener, she.
the field and totaled was a combined 9-of-35.
21 points. But she from the field and.
changed her momentum Tuesday. Young totaled 21 points. But.
was solid at the she changed her momentum.
end of the regular Tuesday. Young was solid.
season as Las Vegas at the end of.
made a run at the regular season as.
the No. 3 seed. Las Vegas made a.
However, she was quiet run at the No..
Tuesday -- 3-for-10 from 3 seed. However, she.
the field for 9 was quiet Tuesday --.
points, though she also 3-for-10 from the field.
added 9 rebounds and for 9 points, though.
5 assists -- as she also added 9.
Wilson (24 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists.
rebounds), Kelsey Plum (29 -- as Wilson (24.
points, 11-of-15 from the points, 13 rebounds), Kelsey.
field) and Gray (12 Plum (29 points, 11-of-15.
points, 9 assists) had from the field) and.
big nights. To beat Gray (12 points, 9.
the 2024 version of assists) had big nights..
the Liberty, Las Vegas To beat the 2024.
needs all four scoring. Voepel: Last four scoring. What can.
season, Stewart won a we expect from another.
tightly contested three-way race Wilson-Stewart showdown? Voepel: Last.
for MVP, with Wilson season, Stewart won a.
third. But Wilson was tightly contested three-way race.
the dominant winner of for MVP, with Wilson.
WNBA Finals MVP; she third. But Wilson was.
averaged 23.8 points, 11.8 the dominant winner of.
rebounds and 2.3 blocks WNBA Finals MVP; she.
in the Aces' nine averaged 23.8 points, 11.8.
playoff games. Stewart didn't fully rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
look like herself in in the Aces nine.
the playoffs last season. playoff games. Stewart didnt.
She still averaged 18.4 fully look like herself.
points and 10.2 rebounds in the playoffs last.
in the Liberty's 10 season. She still averaged.
playoff games, but she 18.4 points and 10.2.
shot just 35.8% from rebounds in the Libertys.
the field and 19.6% 10 playoff games, but.
from behind the arc. Hammon she shot just 35.8%.
said Tuesday after the from the field and.
Aces' Game 2 victory 19.6% from behind the.
over Seattle that she arc. Hammon said Tuesday.
thought the Liberty had after the Aces Game.
been playing with an 2 victory over Seattle.
edge all this season that she thought the.
after the disappointment of Liberty had been playing.
losing the Finals last with an edge all.
year. For Stewart in this season after the.
particular, this postseason might disappointment of losing the.
feel particularly big because, Finals last year. For.
let's face it, she Stewart in particular, this.
left Seattle to win postseason might feel particularly.
a championship in her big because, lets face.
home state. She wants it, she left Seattle.
that badly. By the same to win a championship.
token, Wilson's fire has in her home state..
been blazing all this She wants that badly..
season because she wanted By the same token,.
to prove without a Wilsons fire has been.
doubt she was the blazing all this season.
MVP. So we've got because she wanted to.
two superstars who are prove without a doubt.
very motivated. And it's she was the MVP..
not that there aren't So weve got two.
a lot of important superstars who are very.
moving parts around them motivated. And its not.
(most notably another former that there arent a.
MVP in Liberty forward lot of important moving.
Jonquel Jones). But it feels parts around them (most.
like a lot of notably another former MVP.
this series might still in Liberty forward Jonquel.
come down to whomever Jones). But it feels.
can impose her will like a lot of.
the most between Wilson this series might still.
and Stewart.Can the reverse how dominant the.
Aces reverse how dominant Liberty were in their.
the Liberty were in regular-season meetings? Voepel: Yes,.
their regular-season meetings?
Both for any of those.
teams had several players games. Both teams had.
step up in the several players step up.
first round. What's the in the first round..
key matchup in this Whats the key matchup.
series?
What version of the Liberty,.
can we expect from Las Vegas needs all.
another Wilson-Stewart showdown?
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