Stewart and Ionescu lead New York Liberty to 87-77 Game 1 win over the Las Vegas Aces in semifinals
Breanna Stewart acknowledges that her performance in last year's Finals was not up to par when the Las Vegas Aces defeated the New York Liberty.
Determined to improve, she delivered an impressive 34-point game in the first match of their semifinal series this year, leading the Liberty to a victory over the Aces with a score of 87-77 on Sunday.
"I believe I have grown from that experience and had ample time to reflect," Stewart stated, noting the personal challenges she faced, including the passing of her father-in-law from cancer just prior to last year's series. "I have considered how I can enhance my performance and manage situations more effectively. I remain aware of my identity and capabilities. While last year was not my proudest moment, I am committed to continuous improvement."
The second game of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Tuesday night in New York.
"It’s a must-win situation; we need to secure Game 2," emphasized Aces coach Becky Hammon. "There is no alternative."
The two-time defending champions have only found themselves trailing in a series once over the past two years, which occurred against Seattle when they were also down 1-0. However, the key difference was that they played the first two games at home.
"We faced the challenge of needing to win three consecutive games. We have been in tough situations before," Hammon remarked.
Kelsey Plum recorded 24 points, while A’ja Wilson contributed 21 for the Aces.
“Ultimately, it’s a loss, and that’s all I can focus on,” Plum remarked when questioned about her performance. “There are numerous aspects I can improve on individually to better support my teammates as a whole.”
This matchup served as a rematch of last season’s WNBA Finals, which the Aces secured in four games, culminating in their championship victory in New York. The Liberty have expressed that the defeat left a lasting impact, which they have channeled as motivation throughout the current season. New York finished with the best record in the league, earning the top playoff seed.
Last season, the Aces held the No. 1 seed, necessitating that New York travel for the first two games of the Finals. The Liberty returned home trailing 0-2 and were unable to recover.
New York started strong, led by Stewart, and finished the first quarter with a 28-21 advantage. Las Vegas narrowed the gap to 37-34 with 4:11 remaining in the half, but New York concluded the second quarter with an 11-4 run, leading by ten at halftime.
Stewart, who scored 20 points in the first half, contributed six points during that run, making eight of her ten attempts in the opening half.
“I aimed to establish the tone, be assertive, and capitalize on what the defense offered,” Stewart stated.
The Liberty opened the third quarter with five consecutive points, extending their lead to 62-44 following a three-pointer from Stewart. After a timeout, the Aces responded with a 12-point run to close the gap to six. Courtney Vandersloot eventually halted New York's scoring drought with a layup, igniting a surge that restored a nine-point lead by the end of the third quarter.
Las Vegas remained competitive, trailing 75-67 until Sabrina Ionescu connected on a three-pointer with 7:34 left in the game, turning to acknowledge Spike Lee, who was seated courtside in her jersey.
In Game 2 of the opening round series against Atlanta, the basketball enthusiast shared a high-five with the Liberty guard, describing the moment as feeling like “New York was injected into my veins.”
Ninety seconds later, she made another three-pointer that sent the sellout crowd into a frenzy.
Las Vegas was unable to close the gap to less than eight points for the remainder of the game.
Ionescu concluded the match with 21 points, while Jonquel Jones contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Liberty.
“We approached this as Game 1, aiming to play with urgency and defend our home court,” stated Liberty coach Sandy Brondello.
This marks the first occasion in league history that the finalists from the previous season have faced each other in the semifinals. The playoff format was altered in 2016, allowing the top eight teams to qualify for the postseason regardless of their conference. In 2018, Minnesota encountered Los Angeles in the first round after both teams had competed in the WNBA Finals in the two preceding years.
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