Aces stay alive with double-digit smacking of Liberty

The Core Four all reached double-digit points plus the defense returned to championship level as Las Vegas stayed alive to fight another day.

Facing elimination in Game 3 of the WNBA Semifinals, the Aces took care of the New York Liberty, 95-81, Friday, Oct. 4 from the Michelob Ultra Arena. By doing so, the back-to-back defending champions picked up their first win over its rival this season in the sixth overall meeting.

During the regular season, Las Vegas went 13-7 at home but have gone a perfect 3-0 during the playoffs.

“Everything was just on point really with everybody,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “I thought that was probably our most complete game of the season. It’s the game I’ve been waiting for and believing in.”

Game 4 will now take place Sunday, Oct. 6 from the same location as the Aces look to send the series back to New York. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. Las Vegas is looking to become the first team in league history to come back from 0-2 in a best-of-five-series and win.

“The minute you get comfortable that’s when you’re exposed,” guard Chelsea Gray said. “I think you just go one game at a time. We executed this game, we executed four quarters. We start all over again on Sunday, we’re still down 2-1, we haven’t done anything.”

A three-point lead at halftime was broken open at halftime by a 21-6 third quarter for the Aces. The lead would balloon to 20 in the third on a 16-0 run before getting pushed to 27 in the final frame.

After giving up 49 points in the first half, Las Vegas won the second half, 43-32. It held its opponent to 39% from the field.

”We knew that they wanted to get into the paint,” Gray said. “They were killing us inside, whether it was layups, post-ups, [offensive] boards so we knew coming into this game that was going to be our starting point — not the offensive end.”

Guard Kelsey Plum scored nine of her 20 points in the third quarter after scoring her first points in the second quarter.

“I play hard all the time,” she said. “Sometimes maybe I can get sped up a little bit or I can be too aggressive and it doesn’t go my way.”

Backcourt mate Jackie Young led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting. She scored 10 of her points in the first quarter while mostly being guarded by New York’s Sabrina Ionescu.

While handling a bulk of the early defensive assignment on Plum and Young, Ionescu went the first three quarters without a point. She’d finish with 4 points on 1-for-7 from the floor.

“We were just trying to not let her get downhill on us,” Hammon said. “The game plan, Plum taught me some stuff yesterday and I had seen it but I never really had a name for it and when she explained it I was like, ‘Yup.’”

Forward A’ja Wilson tallied a big time double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Her effort helped her Aces win the points in the paint battle, 42-28.

Liberty center Jonquel Jones dealt with foul trouble and was limited to 11 points in 25 minutes.

“She’s played great every game we’ve put her in,” Hammon said. “If anything, we were a little more intentional in trying to get her touches. I thought there was a stretch there where she didn’t touch it enough.”

Gray was the final starter in double-figures with 10 points and a game-high seven assists.

“Defensively, we were just so locked in,” she said. “We were intentional on that end of the floor.”

Veteran guard Tiffany Hayes chipped in with 11 points on the same day she was named the league’s Sixth Player of the Year.

”She’s been incredible,” Plum said. “I think her energy on and off the court, in the locker room. She’s someone that’s a gamer and you love to play with gamers.”