Aces Sights Set on Extending WNBA Semifinals Series Friday vs. New York

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WNBA Las Vegas Aces

Aces Sights Set on Extending WNBA Semifinals Series Friday vs. New York

October 3, 2024 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Las Vegas Aces News Release


LAS VEGAS - If the Las Vegas Aces are going to continue their history-making run at a 3rd consecutive WNBA Championship, they are first going to have to make a different kind of history by becoming the first team ever to overcome a 2-0 deficit to win a WNBA playoff series. Game 3 of their best-of-5 Semifinals against the New York Liberty is slated for Friday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 pm PT. The game is being broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

The Aces dropped the first two games of the series in New York, 87-77 on September 30 (box score / recap) and 88-84 on October 1 (box score / recap). They improved their perimeter shooting from Game 1 to Game 2, but scored more than 10 points below their seasonal average in the paint, making 18 of their 42 shots from inside the arc (.429). They were also uncharacteristically turnover prone, allowing the Liberty to score 22 points off of their 12 miscues, which cost Las Vegas the opportunity to even the series.

On the defensive end, the Aces allowed New York to connect on 24 of 38 shots from 2-point range (.632), which is well above Las Vegas' seasonal average of 47.0 percent.

Las Vegas

OER 2G% 3G% TO% PtsInPt OppPtsOffTO Opp 2FG%

2024 Regular Season 106.1 .516 .355 .143 34.2 12.4 .470

2024 Semis Game 1 96.3 .524 .250 .138 38.0 11.0 .536

2024 Semis Game 2 107.7 .429 .444 .167 24.0 22.0 .632

New York is holding the Aces nearly 6 points below their seasonal average in the series, and slightly below Las Vegas' seasonal field goal percentage. On the other side of the ball, the Liberty are scoring more than 6 points more than then the Aces average 2024 opponent and connecting at a much higher percentage from the field.

Las Vegas

OER PPG FG% 3G% TO% DER Opp PPG OppFG% Opp3G%

2024 Regular Season 106.1 86.4 .454 .355 .143 99.6 80.9 .433 .350

2024 Semis vs. NY 101.9 80.5 .434 .365 .152 111.5 87.5 .496 .354

Three-time WNBA M'VP Award winner Aja Wilson is averaging 22.5 points on 58.8 percent shooting from the field in the Semifinals, but the Liberty are limiting her touches, as Wilson is taking nearly 3 fewer shots per game, and more than 3 fewer free throws.

A'ja Wilson

PPG RPG FG% FGA/G FTA/G

2024 Regular Season 26.9 11.9 .518 19.6 7.2

2024 Semifinals 22.5 6.5 .588 17.0 4.0

Jackie Young is averaging 17.0 points against the Liberty in the playoffs, while Kelsey Plum is chipping in 15.0 points per game, and both are connecting at a high clip from beyond the arc.

Jackie Young

PPG APG FG% 3G%

2024 Regular Season 15.8 5.3 .430 .337

2024 Semifinals 17.0 2.5 .379 .400

Kelsey Plum

PPG APG FG% 3G%

2024 Regular Season 17.8 4.2 .423 .368

2024 Semifinals 15.0 2.5 .423 .462

For New York, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu are both averaging more than 20 points per game in the Semis, and doing so at an efficient clip.

Breanna Stewart

PPG RPG APG FG% 3G%

2024 Regular Season 20.4 8.5 3.5 .458 .295

2024 Semifinals 24.5 6.0 6.0 .500 .222

Sabrina Ionescu

PPG RPG APG FG% 3G%

2024 Regular Season 18.2 4.4 6.2 .394 .333

2024 Semifinals 22.5 6.5 5.0 .545 .400

Jonquel Jones has been her usual steady self, averaging a double-double, but Las Vegas has been able to hold Betnijah Laney-Hamilton in check.

Jonquel Jones

PPG RPG FG% 3G%

2024 Regular Season 14.2 9.0 .538 .388

2024 Semifinals 13.5 10.0 .500 .500

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton

PPG APG FG% 3G%

2024 Regular Season 11.9 3.3 .456 .402

2024 Semifinals 6.0 2.0 .267 .286

Should the Aces win Friday, Game 4 of the series will tip at 12 pm PT on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Michelob ULTRA Arena, and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

Check out the Las Vegas Aces Statistics

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