WNBA playoff semifinal series shift locations with Aces headed home after losing two in New York

The Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun return home with contrasting emotions following the initial two games of their playoff semifinal series.

The Aces are striving to salvage their season against New York, while the Sun aim to secure a victory over the Minnesota Lynx.

The two-time defending champions, Las Vegas, find themselves trailing New York 2-0 in the best-of-five series, whereas the Sun managed to split their first two games in Minnesota.

Despite the challenging situation, the Aces remain composed, aware that they must achieve a remarkable comeback to reach the Finals for the third consecutive year.

“At the end of the day, we have neither lost nor won a championship. Nothing has been won tonight,” stated Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon. “Do we have an uphill battle? Absolutely we do. All New York did was do what New York should do — defend their home court. It’s a series, and we intend on pushing it to five games. We need to take it quarter by quarter and be solid on the defensive end.”

Historically, no team has ever recovered from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five WNBA playoff series.

“I love being in the history books; we might as well try to start there,” remarked Aces guard Chelsea Gray. “That’s going to be our mentality. We must win for our series to continue.”

New York maintains that it has yet to achieve any significant milestones. The Liberty successfully defended their home court, and they require just one more victory in the upcoming three games to eliminate the Aces. The series will continue in Las Vegas for Game 3 on Friday. Should the Aces secure a win in the next match, Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday.

“While being up 2-0 is certainly advantageous, we have not secured any victories yet,” stated Sabrina Ionescu, who contributed 24 points to the 88-84 triumph. “This is well understood. We accomplished our objective of protecting our home court by winning two games here. We are not celebrating or expressing satisfaction; our team is driven and eager for more.”

The Sun claimed victory in Game 1 against the Lynx in Minnesota but fell short with a 77-70 loss in Game 2 on Tuesday evening.

“This is the nature of a series, isn’t it? Our aim is to win every game, but securing a win on the opponent’s home court is crucial,” remarked Connecticut coach Stephanie White. “Both teams are experienced and quite similar, and I believe that strong defense is essential regardless of the location.”

Both Minnesota and Connecticut are recognized for their defensive prowess, and White acknowledges that the series winner will likely be determined by which team achieves a higher shooting percentage.

“We will be prepared. We will make the necessary adjustments and look forward to Friday,” she affirmed.

Cheryl Reeve, who was honored as the league’s Coach of the Year for Minnesota, has encountered similar situations in the past and remains confident in her team.

“To achieve success, one must navigate through adversity. It is essential to endure challenges and learn from them to reach the ultimate goal,” stated Reeve, who has led the Lynx to four WNBA championships. “If it were an easy path, everyone would succeed.”