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Aces pull off comeback win in WNBA Finals Game 1: How will Liberty answer? – The Athletic
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The Athletic has live coverage of the WNBA Finals Game 2 featuring the New York Liberty vs. Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces came back to beat the New York Liberty 99-82 in Game 1 of the 2023 WNBA Finals on Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena. Here’s what you need to know:
The Liberty led by 3 points at halftime, having shot 51.4 percent from the field and received a punch on offense from reserve guard Marine Johannès. But in the third quarter, Las Vegas’ defense stiffened and Young exploded on the other end. Behind 12 third-quarter points from Young, which brought her total to 24 entering the final frame, the Aces outscored the Liberty 26-16 in the third, swinging a slight deficit into a 7-point lead.
During the regular season, the Aces were the best team in the league in the third quarter, outscoring opponents by more than 19 points per 100 possessions. They snatched control of the game then and watched as their lead ballooned from there in the fourth. — Ben Pickman, women’s basketball staff writer
Betnijah Laney scored at least 19 points in five of New York’s six postseason games entering Sunday, and the Liberty won all of those games. Her lone 3-point outing was the team’s lone loss of the playoffs. But the Aces made it a priority to keep Laney uninvolved on offense, even in a high-scoring affair. Laney didn’t score her first bucket until the end of the first quarter, and she didn’t get the ball in the post until the third quarter. The New York X-factor ended with 11 points, not enough for the Liberty to stay attached in a game when Las Vegas shot 55 percent from the field.
Laney was still disruptive defensively and forced the Aces to run more of their offense through Plum and Young than Chelsea Gray, but the other Las Vegas guards were up to the challenge. Laney’s counterparts, on the other hand, couldn’t get the job done defensively. — Sabreena Merchant, women’s basketball staff writer
In the regular season, the closest final scoreline between the Liberty and Aces was 9 points. That isn’t because these teams are far apart in terms of talent or ability, but it was because of how each team responded to second-half runs.
Game 1 followed a similar script, with the Aces using a major third-quarter run to give themselves a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. After outscoring New York by 10 in the third quarter, Las Vegas’ push continued into the fourth. It would outscore New York 53-33 in the second half. The Liberty never had an answer for the Aces, but that doesn’t mean they won’t going forward. — Pickman
You right @cgray209, it’s a MOVIEEEE 🎥
📺 ABC | #WNBAFinals | @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/9vPGtJsruO
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 8, 2023
Jones has recorded a double-double in all seven games in this year’s playoff, marking the most double-doubles in a single postseason in WNBA history, per ESPN Stats & Info.
(Photo: David Becker / NBAE via Getty Images)
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