First, Megdal analyzed the Game 1 performances of Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, who combined for 55 points in New York’s 87-77 series-opening victory on Sunday. Ionescu contributed 21 points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a block, while Stewart led the Liberty with 34 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block.
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“She wasn’t rushed, she wasn’t too slow to get to things, she just found the rhythm right away and dictated things from the start,” Megdal commented on Stewart’s performance. “Sabrina is healthy, and she spent all offseason working on that quicker first step to get downhill. It has changed the way the Aces are able to cover her.”
He further added, “And here’s the thing: I don’t necessarily know that there’s an adjustment Las Vegas can make to change the trajectory of what [Stewart and Ionescu] are both doing.”
Megdal then discussed why the Aces need more production from Chelsea Gray in the upcoming games of the series.
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“Chelsea Gray is—wherever you want to rank her—incredibly valuable and incredibly important to the Las Vegas Aces. And, if you’re sending doubles, triples at A’ja (Wilson), A’ja has five assists. … A’ja had a historic season, (but) if Chelsea Gray doesn’t play like Chelsea Gray, this is a really hard series for them to win, even if New York doesn’t play as fully efficiently as they did in the first game of this series,” Megdal stated.
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