WNBA: Liberty dominate, Lynx protect home court in Game 2s

Are you not entertained? Elite hoops are here in the WNBA semifinals, with both games displaying basketball at the highest levels of competition.

The fourth quarter between No. 1-seed New York Liberty and No. 4-seed Las Vegas Aces was one for the ages, with both teams exchanging haymakers until Sabrina Ionescu came up big in the clutch, scoring seven of the Liberty’s last nine points en route to an 88-84 win. New York now holds a commanding 2-0 series lead.

The other semifinal started off as a defensive showdown, but this time, the No. 2-seed Minnesota Lynx got the job done in the fourth quarter and evened the series against the No. 3-seed Connecticut Sun, winning 77-70.

Here is the recap on how New York and Minnesota handled business:

Aces’ superpowers neutralized

It’s no longer a question of whether the Aces are in trouble; the ship is sinking. If you don’t have a lifeboat by now, it’s time to say your final words.

Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon tried to make adjustments to avoid the 0-2 hole, starting Alysha Clark and benching Kiah Stokes. She aggressively called timeouts to get on her players when runs happened, especially after New York converted one too many easy layups.

Those efforts weren’t in vain, but they didn’t change the reality. Ball don’t lie, and all year the play on the court has told us the Liberty are better than the Aces. Count me in among the group that wanted to see it in the postseason before I believed, but now, it’s as clear as day: The Liberty are just better.

A’ja Wilson gave an MVP performance for the Aces, but it fell just short. She ended the night with 24 points, seven rebounds and a plus-minus of +3, the best of any Las Vegas player. The Liberty just had too much firepower, with their trio of Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones all rising to the occasion. Ionescu had 24 points and nine rebounds, Stewart scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards and Jones had a near double-double herself with 14 points and eight rebounds.

This result means New York needs just one more win to sweep the Aces. They’ve beaten them now a combined five times in 2024, and haven’t lost once. Las Vegas will be looking to start a historic comeback on Friday when this series changes venues for Game 3.

Old-school hoops

Lynx-Sun was a physical, aggressive, chippy game with some exciting baskets in the final frame. In Game 1, the Sun rallied back in the fourth quarter to steal home court. In Game 2, the Lynx learned from those mistakes and closed the door on Connecticut.

The big reason the Lynx turned the tables on Tuesday was that their size was too much for the Sun. Naphessa Collier was elite protecting the rim, demonstrating why she is the Defensive Player of the Year. She ended the night with nine points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.

Myisha Hines-Allen was crucial coming off the bench, making big buckets. Although she only had seven points, they were momentum-shifting moments.

After Connecticut guards like Marina Mabrey played so well in the first game, Minnesota’s guards had to respond. They did just that, with Courtney Williams coming up big with a team-high 17-point performance. Williams, who previously played for the Sun, exchanged words with Mabrey, who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind either.

With 3:09 left, the Sun got to within seven, but Alanna Smith put an end to any hopes of a comeback with a dagger 3-pointer. Teams exchanged baskets the rest of the way, but the Lynx stayed in control.

The crowd got riled up during the closing seconds, shouting “Our House” while the Lynx snapped their seven-game home losing streak against the Sun. They picked a perfect game to end the skid. (Well, Game 1 would’ve been ideal, but you understand the sentiment.) Semifinal action between these two will continue on Friday night, except they’ll play in Connecticut at the iconic Mohegan Sun Arena.