Breanna Stewart set the tone early with 11 first-quarter points. That’s more points than Stewart scored in the elimination game of last year’s WNBA finals against the Aces. She had revenge on her mind and torched the Aces for 34 points and 5 rebounds in an 87-77 Liberty win. Stewie was the game’s leading scorer and got buckets in every way possible. She shot 63% from the field, went 2/4 from behind the 3-point line, and hit 8/9 free throws. As a result, this was a dominant win by the Liberty who at one point had a lead as big as 18 in the second half.
The entire big 3 of the Liberty stepped up in game 1. Sabrina Ionescu had 21 points and 5 assists. She hit multiple deep 3’s that took the air out of the Aces, consequently making the defense feel helpless. In addition, Jonquel Jones had a solid performance and finished the night with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Jones was held to just 3 shot attempts in the second half and it was clear the Aces wanted to keep her silent. However, Jonquel was still able to contribute a double-double and did a good job of crashing the glass, a weak point of the Aces. Las Vegas will look to bounce back in game 2 but the Liberty are not showing any signs of slowing down.
The Aces lost the game by 10 but should have learned a lot from game 1. Alysha Clark needs to start game 2 because Kiah Stokes is not a threat offensively. With Stokes on the floor, Stewart essentially leaves her defenseless and able to roam, providing help defense to whoever needs it. Clark started the second half of game 1 and I expect Hammon to go back to this in game 2. Jackie Young continues to shoot inefficiently and Chelsea Gray had her worst game in weeks. The Aces performed far below their standards in game 1, however, it wasn’t all negative. Kelsey Plum shined in game 1, recording 24 points and 4 assists. This is a welcome sign for the Aces who are in desperate need of good guard play in this series.
The Liberty flexed their muscle in the game 1 win. The introduction of Leonie Fiebich has paid dividends for New York. Her 3-point shot-making and length on defense proved that coach Sandy Brondello’s choice to start her over Courtney VanderSloot is the correct one. The Aces will make a lot of changes in game 2 and it’s going to be an exciting battle. The result of Game 1 suggests that the Vegas season might be cut short at the hands of the Liberty. However, a big game for A’ja Wilson is on the horizon and it’s impossible to count out a team with 4 gold medalists. I expect them to bounce back with a close win in Game on October 1st at 7:30 PM EST.