Sports
A’ja Wilson powers Las Vegas Aces to being one victory away from repeating as WNBA champions – The Boston Globe
LAS VEGAS — A’ja Wilson scored 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the Las Vegas Aces routed the New York Liberty, 104-76, Wednesday to take a 2-0 series lead in the WNBA Finals.
Wilson finished 10 of 16 from the field on her way to recording her 26th double-double this season — including her fourth of the playoffs. She’s the third player in WNBA Finals history to have at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game.
Chelsea Gray also had a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists. Jackie Young finished with 24 points and Kelsey Plum had 23.
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Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday in New York. No team has ever rallied from a 0-2 deficit in the WNBA Finals.
Jonquel Jones (22), Breanna Stewart (14), Betnijah Laney (12), and Sabrina Ionescu (10) accounted for 76.3 percent of New York’s points, as the Liberty got just 18 points from six others who played.
New York, which lost by 17 in Game 1, came into the game a perfect 9-0 after losses this year. The Aces made sure that streak ended with a dominant first and third quarter.
The Aces opened the game on a 19-2 run, with 12 points coming from 3-point range. Las Vegas hit seven of its first nine shots — a blistering 77.8 percent clip — including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
New York, meanwhile, missed nine of its first 10 attempts.
The Aces’ lead grew as high as 21 points in the opening period before taking a 38-19 lead into the second quarter. Las Vegas set a record for most points in the first quarter of a WNBA Finals. It was also the most points the Aces scored in any quarter all season.
The Liberty came charging back from a 22-point second-quarter deficit behind a 12-0 run and outscored the Aces, 25-14, in the period to cut Las Vegas’ lead to 52-44 at halftime. Jones scored 16 of her points in the second quarter.
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New York couldn’t carry its momentum into the third, however, as the Aces used a 17-3 run to extend their lead to 69-47. The Aces outscored the Liberty, 28-13, in the third quarter, with 20 points coming from Wilson and Young.
The Liberty couldn’t close the gap and now will try to avoid getting swept.
