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Story by Cassandra Cousineau Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
The Las Vegas Aces live to play another game.
In an elimination game at Michelob Ultra Arena, the two-time defending champs walked out of Mandalay Bay still the WNBA title holder after throttling the top-seeded New York Liberty, 95-81, before a delirious packed crowd of 10,369.
The Aces will play New York in the WNBA Semifinals Game 4 Sunday at 12 noon at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The Liberty will look to close out the Best-of-5 series. The Aces will seek to force a decisive Game 5 in Brooklyn next week.
The Aces’ owner, Mark Davis, sat in his usual courtside seat, and he was joined by other Raiders personnel — team president Sandra Douglass Morgan and head coach Antonio Pierce.
The Aces face a daunting challenge down two games to zero heading into Friday night’s game.
The Aces are no strangers to high-pressure situations. But they’re fighting to reclaim the championship form that’s eluded them this season. The reason these two heavyweight teams are facing each other in the semifinals and not the final is that the Aces lost too many games during the regular season and finished with the number four seed in the league.
After the Aces lost Game 2 in New York, head coach Becky Hammon said distractions crept in through the season, throwing the team off course.
“My players are in commercials and this and that, being freaking celebrities, and you get distracted,” Hammon said with frustration earlier this week. “That’s why it’s hard. Because human nature is distracting.”
Those distractions were evident in the first two games of this series, as the Aces struggled to match the intensity and focus of the Liberty. Now, with the Aces’ season on the line, Hammon’s squad dug deep to keep the series alive tonight.
Adding to the challenge is that the Aces were without one of their key defensive anchors, rebound-grabbing forward Kiah Stokes.
Stokes is a reliable presence in the paint and A’ja Wilson’s running mate in the frontcourt. She was scratched from the lineup after suffering a concussion in Game 2 at Barclays Center. Her absence was felt on the defensive end, where her shot-blocking and rebounding have been crucial in containing the Liberty’s potent offense.
Tonight’s first half was top-level, elite play. The Aces led the Liberty, 52-49.
But the game pivoted in the third quarter as Las Vegas held New York to only six points in the ten minutes of the third quarter.
That 52-49 lead at the half ballooned to a 73-55 advantage after three quarters.
After the Aces led by 25 points at 88-63 in the fourth quarter, Hammon emptied the bench for garbage time.
Jackie Young led the way with 24 points, while Kelsey Plum added 19. Wilson played her usual all-around game with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Chelsea Gray contributed ten points and seven assists.
Veteran forward Alysha Clark stepped into a starting role. Clark was a valuable player for the Aces all season, bringing championship experience and defensive tenacity. Filling the void left by Stokes required a collective effort from the entire team, particularly against the Liberty’s dominant frontcourt led by MVP candidate Breanna Stewart and the versatile Jonquel Jones.
Tiffany Hayes, fresh off being named the 2024 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, is a key factor. Hayes has provided a spark off the bench all season, but with the stakes higher than ever, her ability to score and create energy for the Aces could be the difference-maker.
She scored 11 points tonight.
LVSportsBiz.com will be at Game 4 Sunday.