Hooray, Las Vegas, Ace is still alive.
Liberty was unable to defeat the two-time defending champions Friday night in its first chance to secure a return to the WNBA Finals.
They had a chance to sweep the best-of-five league semifinals against the team they eliminated in the championship round a year ago, but Liberty lost in the second half to league MVP A'ja Wilson and the Aces, losing with 95 points. -81 at Michelob Ultra Arena.
“They came out and did what they had to do,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said after the game. “We didn't play very well, but they threw us off our rhythm.
“We are still [up] It was 2-1, but we had to learn from this. It's not a good match. I'm not happy. I think we lacked discipline. We're a much better team than what we showed.”
Sabrina Ionescu, who led the Liberty team with 24 points in Game 2, missed her first five shots and finished with just four points on 1-of-7 shooting, with five turnovers and a negative rating. It was 23.
Brianna Stewart led the Liberty team with 19 points, and the Liberty team will get another chance to finish the series Sunday afternoon, with a decisive Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday at Barclays Center if necessary. There is a possibility that it has been done.
“It felt the same way we did. It was just a matter of time before we all started clicking,” Wilson said. “But we have to keep this up. This is just one game. This is really nothing. We have to keep growing to get to the next level.” ”
Reacting to the call while Liberty was losing Game 3. AP
Wilson had 19 points and 14 rebounds, Jackie Young added 24 points and Kelsey Plumb added 20 points for the Aces, who won a league-record 12 consecutive postseason home games.
“Does anyone play poker?” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon asked before the game. “Are you going to fold your pocket aces?'' We are aces. We have no intention of giving up. ”
Hammon, a Hall of Famer who played the first eight of 16 WNBA seasons in New York and is a Hall of Famer, said earlier this week that his players “frankly didn't have an edge all year…and this That's why it's difficult.”
The Ribs were the No. 2 seed in the playoffs last year, but lost the first two games in the finals in Las Vegas and then lost the series in four games.
In fact, the Liberty posted identical 16-4 records at both Barclays Center and on the road during the regular season to secure the top seed, then won four straight at home to open the playoffs against the Atlanta Dream and Aces. .
They won both on their last visit to Las Vegas this year.
Still, Ionescu missed all four of his shots and the first half, which saw 18 lead changes, ended with the Aces holding a 52-49 lead.
Plum then sank a couple 3-pointers and the Aces pulled away with a 17-0 run in the third to extend their advantage to 73-53. Liberty missed 12 consecutive shots and went nearly eight minutes without scoring a single point. quarter.
Ionescu finally got on the scoresheet one minute into the fourth, but the Aces extended their lead to 25 points, ensuring at least one more home game and a chance to take the series back to Brooklyn.
“a [17-0] Running and anything silly,” Stewart said. “This is when the team is at its most dangerous, when their backs are against the wall, when they're trying to throw everything they've got. … We weren't ready for that. We did not accept that it is difficult. This is not easy.
“It won't be easy from here on, so we need to prepare for the next game.”
