WNBA: Aces finally beat Liberty, Lynx gain edge over Sun in semifinals

There will be no sweeps in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs this year, thanks to the No. 4-seed Las Vegas Aces dominating the No. 1-seed New York Liberty on Friday, beating them 95-81. In the No. 2-seed-vs.-No. 3-seed series, the Minnesota Lynx regained home court advantage, beating the Connecticut Sun on the road, 90-81.

Both Game 4s will be played on Sunday, but before we prepare for those games, let’s recap how Las Vegas and Minnesota handled business:

Aces’ third quarter seals Game 3

It was an even contest during the first half, with the Aces leading 52-49 at the break. Yes, they had control, but it was anyone’s game. With their backs against the wall, Las Vegas made sure there would be a Game 4 by dominating the Liberty in the third quarter, outscoring them 21-6.

Las Vegas’ defense was suffocating, and it neutralized New York completely, forcing them to miss 11-consecutive field goals to end the quarter. While the third was the worst span for the Liberty, they struggled offensively all night. Sabrina Ionescu scored just four points and didn’t get on the scoreboard until the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Aces had four starters in double figures, and the Sixth Player of the Year Tiffany Hayes scored 11 points off the bench. As usual, A’ja Wilson was the star of the show for the Aces, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, leading the team in both categories.

Close-out games are always difficult, and the Aces reminded us what it’s like when a champ feels threatened and how hard it is to end a dynasty. New York likely will play much better offensively on Sunday, but they’ll have to play one of their best games of the year to eliminate the Aces on the road. If not, we’ll be heading to a winner-take-all Game 5, and suddenly, New York will feel all the pressure, risking a choke job and blowing a 2-0 lead.

Phee-nomenal

If some of her performances during this series left you curious about how good Napheesa Collier is, this one should put any doubts, questions or concerns to rest. Scoring 26 points along with 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block, Collier did everything, minus moping the floor, to make sure her team would win Game 3 and regain control of the series.

It’s not easy to go on the road and beat Connecticut, but Minnesota controlled the tempo and pace of the game. They edged the Sun in points in the paint, and Connecticut struggled from deep, shooting 3-for-20 as a team from 3-point range.

The Lynx outscored the Sun in every quarter until the fourth, when the Sun got the deficit under double digits a couple of times but never seriously threatened to make a comeback. Any time there was an inclination that the tide could turn in their favor, Collier would make a basket and end the threat.

This series has been an intense defensive matchup and feels as close as a No. 2-seed-vs.- No. 3-seed series should be. Connecticut is now facing elimination, but the good news for them is that they will be home for Game 4. But the Sun will need a lot more offense to keep their season alive. Perhaps Marina Mabrey can do better than 1-for-11 from 3-point range? And can the bench help out? In Game 3, the Sun reserves scored just four points, all coming from Veronica Burton. Olivia Nelson-Ododa and company need to provide more production if Connecticut is to force a Game 5.