The New York Liberty are currently leading the WNBA, becoming the first team this season to secure a playoff spot. With their dominant performance, they appear nearly unstoppable. However, New York superfan Stephen A. Smith doesn’t seem to share the same confidence in the team.
On The Stephen A. Smith Show, the analyst picked the Las Vegas Aces to three-peat the championship, while also shouting out for the Liberty and the Connecticut Sun.
“I aint ignoring the Connecticut Sun either but I’m a New Yorker damn it. Im always rooting for New York. But the Las Vegas Aces know how to win. They know what it takes to win.”
Despite their regular season struggles, Stephen A. claimed that the Aces, led by A’ja Wilson will reach the Finals again. His reasoning? Their roster is just too deep. Boasting the likes of Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Chelsea Gray, the Aces have some of the most talented players in the WNBA.
On the flip side, the Liberty boasts an equally talented roster with reigning MVP Breanna Stewart, the league’s best shooter in Sabrina Ionescu, and a solid supporting squad with Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot.
Smith’s claim, however, is that Wilson, the best player in the world, will be up for the challenge.
“A’ja Wilson, she’s 1 of 1. Do not sleep on that young lady… She coming. She see people coming for her and she ain’t the type to bow down from that.”
The Aces, currently fifth in the league, were just defeated by the Liberty today. But come playoff time, it is a whole different ballgame. However, the current scenario also needs to be taken into account.
With a record of 16-8 as compared to the Liberty’s 22-4, the Aces are far from the juggernaut they were last season. Additionally, with Wilson, Plum, Gray, and Jackie Young having all played in the Olympics, there’s bound to be some fatigue in their stars.
But under Becky Hammon’s leadership, it’s never a good idea to count the Aces out early. Sure, they’re struggling in the regular season, but with a team that stacked, they’re bound to improve with time. And with Wilson the MVP favorite right now, it’s hard to see a reality where they don’t make the Finals.
All of that, however, is talk for the future. To prove Smith right, they first need to secure a playoff spot and play their best basketball to earn another trip to the Finals. With the playoffs starting on September 22, the Aces have a lot of work ahead to defend their title.
