Sandy Brondello’s New York Liberty won’t be hedging their bets once they head to Las Vegas in recreation two of the WNBA finals, after falling 99-82 to the Aces within the first recreation of the collection.
No group this post-season has but trumped the Aces, who’re 6-0.
The Liberty, coached by Opals mentor Brondello, proved they may beat Las Vegas within the common season, however New York should come again with a significantly totally different response on Wednesday as they search a primary championship in franchise historical past.
In some of the anticipated finals collection in current reminiscence, that includes three WNBA MVPs, this recreation as a substitute performed out just like the regular-season conferences between the groups by which the closest final result was 9 factors.
The Aces turned it into one other one-sided recreation, occurring an 11-2 run that turned a 67-63 benefit late within the third quarter right into a 78-65 lead early within the fourth.
Las Vegas led 94-72 with three-and-a-half minutes remaining.
Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum every scored 26 factors for the defending champions, because the Aces pulled away from the Liberty within the second half.
Las Vegas level guard Chelsea Gray added 20 factors and 9 assists on her thirty first birthday, whereas A’ja Wilson had 19 factors and eight rebounds. Young made 5 of eight 3-pointers.
Five New York gamers scored in double figures, with this season’s league MVP Breanna Stewart main the Liberty with 21 factors.
Jonquel Jones totalled 16 factors and 10 rebounds and Marine Johannes got here off the bench to attain 14.
Sabrina Ionescu, who entered averaging 16.3 factors within the playoffs, was held to seven.
Game 2 of the best-of-five collection is Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and newly authorized Aces minority proprietor Tom Brady sat courtside subsequent to Las Vegas majority proprietor Mark Davis.
Brady was a part of a star turnout that additionally included Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
