The Las Vegas Aces are on the verge of making history as they defeated the New York Liberty 104-76 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night. The Aces, who won the title last year, are now one win away from becoming the first team to repeat as champions since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02.
Wilson Leads The Way With Double-Double
The Aces were led by their star forward A’ja Wilson, who had a dominant performance with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Wilson shot 10 of 16 from the field and also added three assists, two blocks and a steal. She became the third player in WNBA Finals history to have at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game, joining Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker.
Wilson was unstoppable in the paint, scoring at will against the Liberty’s defense. She also showed her versatility by hitting two three-pointers and making four of five free throws. Wilson said she was motivated by the challenge of facing the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones, who won the MVP award this season.
“I just wanted to come out and be aggressive,” Wilson said. “I know JJ is a great player and I respect her game a lot, but I also know what I can do. I just wanted to show that I’m not backing down from anyone.”
Aces’ Guards Shine With Balanced Scoring
Wilson was not the only one who had a big night for the Aces, as their guard trio of Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum also had impressive performances. Gray had a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists, while Young scored 24 points and Plum added 23 points off the bench.
The Aces’ guards were efficient and effective, shooting a combined 23 of 38 from the field and 10 of 18 from beyond the arc. They also played solid defense, forcing the Liberty into 17 turnovers and scoring 25 points off them.
Gray said she was happy with how the team shared the ball and found the open shooters.
“We have a lot of weapons on this team and we trust each other,” Gray said. “We know that if we move the ball and play with pace, we can get good shots. We also feed off A’ja’s energy and presence inside.”
Liberty Struggle To Keep Up With Aces’ Tempo
The Liberty, who were playing in their first WNBA Finals since 2002, had a tough night as they could not match the Aces’ intensity and execution. The Liberty trailed by as many as 33 points in the game and never threatened to make a comeback.
The Liberty’s offense was stagnant and predictable, relying too much on their star players. Jones had 22 points and nine rebounds, but shot only 8 of 19 from the field. Breanna Stewart had 14 points, but made only four of her 13 shots. Betnijah Laney had 12 points and Sabrina Ionescu had 10 points, but both shot below 40 percent from the field.
The Liberty’s bench was also outscored by the Aces’ reserves 37-18. The Liberty shot only 39.7 percent from the field and 28 percent from three-point range, while allowing the Aces to shoot 54.8 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from three-point range.
Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said she was disappointed with how her team played and gave credit to the Aces for their performance.
“Vegas is playing their best basketball at the moment,” Brondello said. “They’re playing with a lot of confidence, you see the chemistry that they have. And for us, we haven’t taken the steps forward, we haven’t shown it. We’re disappointed, very disappointed, because we’re a way better team than what we showed.”
Aces Look To Close Out Series In Game 3
The Aces will have a chance to clinch their second consecutive title on Sunday when they face the Liberty in Game 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Aces are confident that they can finish the job and make history.
“We know what’s on the line and we have to make sure we come out and take care of business,” Wilson said. “We don’t want to give them any hope or any life. We want to go out there and play our game and leave no doubt.”
The Liberty will try to avoid being swept in their first finals appearance in two decades. They will need to find a way to slow down the Aces’ offense and get more production from their role players.
“We have to regroup and refocus,” Jones said. “We have to play with more urgency and more pride. We have to show that we belong here and that we can compete with them. We have to play like it’s our last game, because it might be.”
