LAS VEGAS (Oct. 5, 2024)—The Las Vegas Aces kept their three-peat hopes alive Friday, with a 95-81 victory over the Liberty in Game 3 of the WNBA Semifinals. They now trail New York 2-1 in the best-of-5 series, with Game 4 slated for Sunday, Oct. 6. Tip at Michelob ULTRA Arena is at 12 pm PT, and the game is being broadcast nationally on ABC.
A win Sunday in Game 4 sends the teams back to New York for a decisive Game 5. No team has ever come back from a 2-0 playoffs deficit in the history of the league and only one, Phoenix in 2018 against Seattle, has ever forced a Game 5.
The Aces double-digit win Friday snapped a 5-game losing streak to the Liberty this season—3 regular season and 2 postseason games that saw New York hold Las Vegas to an average of 76.2 points per game, which is more than 10 points fewer than the Aces regular season average of 86.4 points.
After turning the ball over 13 times in Game 2 and watching the Liberty score 22 points off of those miscues, Las Vegas had 9 turnovers Friday, which New York flipped into just 6 points.
| Aces TO | Liberty Points | |
| Semis Games 1 & 2 Avgs | 12.0 | 16.5 |
| Semis Game 3 | 9 | 6 |
The Aces defense also held Sabrina Ionescu to just 4 points on 1 of 7 shooting after allowing her to score 21 and 24 points respectively in Games 1 and 2.
| Sabrina Ionescu | PPG | RPG |
APG | TOPG |
FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 18.2 | 4.4 | 6.2 | 2.7 | .394 | .333 |
| 2024 Semis Games 1&2 | 22.5 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 2.5 | .545 | .400 |
| 2024 Semis Game 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | .142 (1-7) | .500 (1-2) |
Offensively for the Aces, Jackie Young erupted for 24 points on 10 of 18 shooting including 4 of 10 from 3-point range in the win. Prior to that the 2-time Olympic gold medalist was averaging 13.8 points in the postseason while shooting 36.5 percent from the floor.
| Jackie Young |
PPG | APG | FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 15.8 | 5.3 | .430 | .337 |
| 2024 Playoffs (Gms 1-4) | 13.8 | 3.0 | .365 | .391 |
| 2024 Semis Game 3 | 24 | 4 | .556 (10-18) | .400 (4.10) |
Kelsey Plum bounced back from a subpar Game 2 to score 20 or more points for the third time in her last 4 postseason games.
| Kelsey Plum | Pts | FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Semis Game 2 | 6 | .222 (2-9) | .400 (2-5) |
| 2024 Semis Game 3 | 20 | .636 (7-11) | .429 (3-7) |
Meanwhile, Aj’a Wilson has been her usual M’VP self. Although New York has limited her touches somewhat throughout the series, and has kept her off the free throw line, Wilson battered the boards Friday, grabbing a playoff season high 14 off the glass.
| A’ja Wilson |
PPG | RPG | FG% | FGA/G | FTA/G |
| 2024 Regular Season | 26.9 | 11.9 | .518 | 19.6 | 7.2 |
| 2024 Semifinals | 21.3 | 9.0 | .583 | 16.0 | 3.3 |
The Aces will be without starting center Kiah Stokes for the second straight game. She left Game 2 of the Semifinals with a possible concussion late in the 3rd quarter, and did not play in Game 3.
Should the Aces win Sunday, Game 5 of the series will be played at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Oct. 8 on ESPN2. Tip time will be announced at the conclusion of both Game 4s.