Game 1 at Barclays Center went how the Liberty wanted it to.
As expected, the Aces kept the game close throughout and stayed within striking distance. But Breanna Stewart‘s offensive outburst kept her team in front for most of the game. And when the Liberty needed a boost, Sabrina Ionescu delivered with shots way beyond the arc.
With the Aces attempting a comeback, the sharpshooter drained a trey from 26 feet to put her team up 11 with 7:34 left in regulation. She then stepped back a few feet and delivered a 30-footer that electrified her team, Barclays Center and the Liberty’s newest sideline frequenter: Spike Lee.
It all led to a 87-77 Liberty victory for a 1-0 semifinals series lead over the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Stewart led the way with 34 points while Ionescu made three treys and totaled 21 points.
A’ja Wilson fought late to get her team within single digits down the stretch after a lengthy official review, but her 21-point, six-rebound performance wasn’t enough to ruin the Liberty’s home-court advantage on Sunday. Kelsey Plum finished with a team-high 24 points.
The first quarter showcased how the Liberty want to play in hopes of eliminating the two-time defending champs.
The home team led, 28-21, after assisting on 10 of 11 made field goals in the opening period. To start, Stewart led the offensive charge while guarding Kiah Stokes, which allowed the Liberty star to play free safety with the Aces big being close to a non-factor on the perimeter.
Stewart’s extra help defense combined with tight perimeter defense on Aces’ guards forced Becky Hammon‘s team into empty possessions. The Aces’ offensive troubles should’ve worsened at the 7:34 mark in the second, when Wilson went to the bench.
The bleeding stopped, however, after Jackie Young drained a trey and Plum scored and assisted in a 7-0 run that spanned the two minutes Wilson sat on the bench. That’s bad execution on the Liberty’s side, considering they’re a much deeper team that has enough when Wilson sits on the bench.
That two-point lead later stretched to nine after Jonquel Jones‘ trey at the 2:42 mark as some of the first quarter’s sharp execution returned. On the next possession, Plum turned the ball over and — in frustration — committed a loose-ball foul that resulted in Courtney Vandersloot splitting a pair at the free-throw line.
Stewart later used her patented turnaround jumper to cap a 20-point first half in Game 1. That kind of offensive outburst was totally absent during last year’s WNBA Finals matchup against the Aces, and will be needed going forward if the Liberty want to return to the final round in 2024.
While Stewart torched for the Liberty, Wilson entered halftime with a respectable statline for herself: 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting while recording two rebounds, two assists and a block. The Aces, however, trailed by 10 going into halftime.
The Liberty returned from halftime getting a Leonie Fiebich trey and a steal by Stewart. Stewart then continued her offensive onslaught with five points, including a 27-footer that pushed the lead to 18 midway through the third.
Then, it was Plum’s turn to leave her mark on the game.
She contributed 10 points, including two made treys, to help shorten the Liberty lead to six at the 2:54 mark. Ionescu’s layup to end the third put her team up nine, just close enough for the Aces to set up a close fourth quarter we’re accustomed to seeing between the two superteams.
But the Liberty won the final period, 16-15, en route to the win. Jones’ block on Wilson with a minute left kept the Aces behind by 10 and thwarted the final comeback attempt.
With Game 1 now in the books, the Liberty hope to extend their semifinal series lead Tuesday night at Barclays Center.