NEW YORK (AP) — Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty met for the title Last season. Now, they’re competing for a chance to advance to the WNBA Finals, entering the postseason one round early.
Liberty said they are using loss last season This year, I am motivated, but I am not dwelling on losing all four games.
“We have unfinished business,” New York guard Sabrina Ionescu said. “We’re going to play our best basketball because we still have a lot of basketball left to play.”
The Aces were only a fourth seed, but they have played much better over the past month, winning nine of 10 and advancing to the postseason, where they swept Seattle in the first round.
The only loss in that stretch was against New York, but league MVP A’ja Wilson did not play in that contest while on rest. The Aces nearly surprised Liberty by rebounding from a 20-point deficit in that contest.
Neither team is getting much from that game.
This is the first time in league history that the finalists have met in the semifinals. It wasn’t until 2016 that the league changed its format to require the top eight teams, regardless of conference affiliation, to advance to the postseason.
“Obviously the goal is not just to win the semifinals, so I think that’s a little bit strange because we’re having a rematch of the final series, which is a little bit unheard of,” Ionescu said. “This is a team we must beat to get to the finals again.”
Minnesota and Los Angeles played in the 2018 opener after meeting in the previous year’s final. The Lynx won the title in 2017 but lost to the Sparks in 2018.
Here are some things to look for in the series:
Marquee Matchup
Wilson and Breanna Stewart have been friends off the court for years, playing together with the USA Basketball team in the Olympics and World Championships. Stewart won MVP honors last year, and Wilson has elevated his game this season, not only breaking the single-season scoring average record but becoming the first player to score more than 1,000 points in a season. Whichever of the two has a more dominant series will help her team improve.
X factor
Liberty players have said throughout the season that they are more connected this year after playing as a team for the first time last season. New York added rookie Leonie Fiebich to the mix, and she played outstandingly throughout the regular season. The 6-foot-4 wing gives New York more size and shooting. Las Vegas added Tiffany Hayes midseason, convincing her to come out of retirement. She is the sixth AP Woman of the Year recipient.
Home court advantage
New York has secured the No. 1 seed this year and will play the first two games of the best-of-five series at home. In last season’s WNBA Finals, the Liberty traveled to Las Vegas and returned home on the brink of elimination. New York has had raucous crowds at home throughout the season and games have become a venue for some celebrities.
Assessment and Attendance Benefits
The WNBA had its most-watched regular season since 2000 and its largest attendance in 22 years. The average number of fans in the league was 9,807, an increase of 48% from last season. The Fever lead the way with 340,715 fans attending home games, a single-season record. The Sun’s Indiana-Connecticut series finale averaged 2.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game on cable. The average number of viewers for the second game of the doubleheader, in which Minnesota defeated Phoenix, was 1.2 million.
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