{"id":14139,"date":"2023-10-08T13:10:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T12:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba\/2023\/10\/8\/23907701\/wnba-finals-playoffs-las-vegas-aces-new-york-liberty-jackie-young-aja-wilson-kelsey-plum-gray"},"modified":"2023-10-08T13:10:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T12:10:00","slug":"can-the-aces-vanquish-the-liberty-when-it-matters-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/08\/can-the-aces-vanquish-the-liberty-when-it-matters-most\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the Aces vanquish the Liberty when it matters most?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How Jackie Young (right) and the Las Vegas Aces guards attack the New York Liberty backcourt will be just one of several things to watch for in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. | Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s only one team in the WNBA that gave the defending champion Las Vegas Aces problems in the regular season. Will the Aces continue the roll they\u2019ve been on in the playoffs and take an early lead over the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals?<\/p>\n

The Las Vegas Aces are just four wins away from the ultimate goal\u2014again.<\/p>\n

After winning a WNBA<\/a>-record 34 games during the 2023 regular season, the Aces have steamrolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs, defeating the Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings in the minimum five games while outscoring their opponents<\/a> by an average of 15.3 points per 100 possessions. None of this is unexpected for the reigning WNBA champions, who in several ways have built upon their championship-level success of last season and become the league\u2019s newest juggernaut.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s just one thing standing in the way of the Aces and true \u201cdynasty\u201d status: the New York Liberty. Often referred to as a \u201csuper team\u201d after assembling a star-studded lineup through multiple massive offseason transactions, the Liberty have been hot on the Aces\u2019 tail for all of 2023, and were the only team Las Vegas lost to more than once in the regular season; the Aces and Liberty split their four-game regular-season series, and that\u2019s not including the WNBA\u2019s Commissioner\u2019s Cup Championship, which New York won handily<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ever since the beginning of the 2023 season (and perhaps even before), the Aces and Liberty have been on a collision course to meet in the WNBA Finals. That day has come. Game 1 of the 2023 WNBA Finals between the Aces and Liberty will tip off this Sunday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. ET and get the national broadcast treatment on ABC.<\/p>\n

Will the Aces become the first WNBA team to repeat as champions since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002? In the Liberty, they\u2019ll face the stiffest possible test. Let\u2019s analyze a few key matchups and how the Aces might be able to take advantage of them.<\/p>\n

A\u2019ja Wilson vs. Breanna Stewart is the ultimate power forward matchup<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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It\u2019s always must-see TV when A\u2019ja Wilson (left) and Breanna Stewart face off.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the center of every matchup between the Aces and Liberty is, of course, the individual matchup between A\u2019ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.<\/p>\n

The two forwards, commonly regarded as the best the WNBA has to offer, have had their share of battles over the years. Both are two-time Most Valuable Player winners, with Wilson earning the award in 2020 and 2022 and Stewart winning it in 2018 and 2023.<\/p>\n

Even though Stewart most recently took home<\/a> the league\u2019s ultimate regular-season honor, a case can be made that 2023 was Wilson\u2019s strongest season to date\u2014an impressive feat in itself for the five-time All-Star. Wilson posted career-highs in several statistical categories, including scoring (22.8 points), rebounding (9.5 rebounds) and shot-blocking (2.2 blocks) while recording the best true shooting percentage (62.7 percent; fourth in the WNBA<\/a>) of her career. Wilson also tied the WNBA\u2019s record for points scored in a game (53 on Aug. 22<\/a>) and won Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second-consecutive season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If that\u2019s not impressive enough, Wilson has raised the bar even higher thus far in the playoffs. Through five games (all Aces victories), Wilson is averaging 25.8 points (67.5 percent true shooting<\/a>), 11.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game, once again proving that she\u2019s at her best when the lights shine the brightest.<\/p>\n

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In elite company \u2728@_ajawilson22<\/a> averaged 25+ PTS, 10+ REB, and 3+ BLK per game in a 5-game playoffs stretch, joining Lisa Leslie as the only two players to average such a stat line in WNBA Playoffs history #WNBAPlayoffs<\/a> | @Google<\/a> | #MoreThanGame<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ZShlq56n2T<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 WNBA (@WNBA) September 30, 2023<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n