After Securing Spot In WNBA Semis, Las Vegas Aces Prep For Title Run In Postseason
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By Cassandra Cousineau of LVSportsBiz.com
For Las Vegas Aces coach Bill Laimbeer, the current season has been about sacrifice.
When six of his players were tapped to play in the Tokyo Olympics, Laimbeer shortened his bench mostly relying on a seven-player rotation. Each one was given the mission to tenaciously pursue the end goal: win a championship. They will start that post-season goal on Sept. 28.
After trouncing Chicago Friday night in the Windy City, the Aces secured a double-bye into the semifinal round under the WNBA playoff system. The Aces will get a week’s rest before hitting the court at Michelob Ultra Arena in pursuit of the 2021 WNBA title later this month.
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Laimbeer put it bluntly, “Sacrifice is what makes this happen.”
The Aces have the top-ranked offense in the league doing something no team has ever done. Seven players have registered double-digit scoring seasons. No team has ever finished the season with more than five. His team also leads the league with 89 points per game and 38.8 rebounds per game.
“Two years in a row that our bench has been a tremendous story. Last year we scored the most points in the history of the bench play. This year I had to cut the bench down, to a couple of players, but they performed admirable and have done a tremendous job for us and changed the complexion of the game,” Laimbeer said
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Game one of the WNBA playoff semifinals tips off with the Aces and the winner of the lower seeds’ playoff.
In the 12-team WNBA, the top two seeds earn a double-bye to the semifinal round, while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds earn byes into the second round.
Seeds five through eight will partake in a one-game playoff to determine which team advances into the second round. The first and second rounds of the are single-elimination, and the semifinal round and WNBA Finals are each a best-of-five series.
About a month ago, Laimbeer picked up his 300th career coaching win in the WNBA. After winning two NBA championships and playing 13 seasons with the Detroit Pistons, he became the second coach in WNBA history to reach the milestone off 300 coaching wins. Only Mike Thibault has more coaching wins in WNBA history.
Every subsequent Aces win has been more important than the coach’s personal milestone. “If we win a championship this way and everybody gets all of their accolades, and so forth like that, then that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”
The Aces’ seven-player rotation will get a boost in the middle when formidable All-Star center Liz Cambage returns. Cambage has been cleared from COVID-19 protocol and is expected to play Sunday against the Phoenix Mercury in Phoenix.
