LAS VEGAS (Oct. 3, 2024)—If the Las Vegas Aces are going to continue their history-making run at a 3rd consecutive WNBA Championship, they are first going to have to make a different kind of history by becoming the first team ever to overcome a 2-0 deficit to win a WNBA playoff series. Game 3 of their best-of-5 Semifinals against the New York Liberty is slated for Friday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 pm PT. The game is being broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
The Aces dropped the first two games of the series in New York, 87-77 on September 30 (box score/recap) and 88-84 on October 1 (box score/recap). They improved their perimeter shooting from Game 1 to Game 2, but scored more than 10 points below their seasonal average in the paint, making 18 of their 42 shots from inside the arc (.429). They were also uncharacteristically turnover prone, allowing the Liberty to score 22 points off of their 12 miscues, which cost Las Vegas the opportunity to even the series.
On the defensive end, the Aces allowed New York to connect on 24 of 38 shots from 2-point range (.632), which is well above Las Vegas’ seasonal average of 47.0 percent.
| Las Vegas |
OER | 2G% |
3G% | TO% | PtsInPt | OppPtsOffTO | Opp 2FG% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 106.1 | .516 | .355 | .143 | 34.2 | 12.4 | .470 |
| 2024 Semis Game 1 | 96.3 | .524 | .250 | .138 | 38.0 | 11.0 | .536 |
| 2024 Semis Game 2 | 107.7 | .429 | .444 | .167 | 24.0 | 22.0 | .632 |
New York is holding the Aces nearly 6 points below their seasonal average in the series, and slightly below Las Vegas’ seasonal field goal percentage. On the other side of the ball, the Liberty are scoring more than 6 points more than then the Aces average 2024 opponent and connecting at a much higher percentage from the field.
| Las Vegas |
OER | PPG | FG% | 3G% | TO% | DER | Opp PPG | OppFG% | Opp3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 106.1 | 86.4 | .454 | .355 | .143 | 99.6 | 80.9 | .433 | .350 |
| 2024 Semis vs. NY | 101.9 | 80.5 | .434 | .365 | .152 | 111.5 | 87.5 | .496 | .354 |
Three-time WNBA M’VP Award winner Aja Wilson is averaging 22.5 points on 58.8 percent shooting from the field in the Semifinals, but the Liberty are limiting her touches, as Wilson is taking nearly 3 fewer shots per game, and more than 3 fewer free throws.
| A’ja Wilson |
PPG | RPG | FG% | FGA/G | FTA/G |
| 2024 Regular Season | 26.9 | 11.9 | .518 | 19.6 | 7.2 |
| 2024 Semifinals | 22.5 | 6.5 | .588 | 17.0 | 4.0 |
Jackie Young is averaging 17.0 points against the Liberty in the playoffs, while Kelsey Plum is chipping in 15.0 points per game, and both are connecting at a high clip from beyond the arc.
| Jackie Young |
PPG | APG | FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 15.8 | 5.3 | .430 | .337 |
| 2024 Semifinals | 17.0 | 2.5 | .379 | .400 |
| Kelsey Plum | PPG | APG | FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 17.8 | 4.2 | .423 | .368 |
| 2024 Semifinals | 15.0 | 2.5 | .423 | .462 |
For New York, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu are both averaging more than 20 points per game in the Semis, and doing so at an efficient clip.
| Breanna Stewart | PPG | RPG |
APG | FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 20.4 | 8.5 | 3.5 | .458 | .295 |
| 2024 Semifinals | 24.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | .500 | .222 |
| Sabrina Ionescu | PPG | RPG |
APG | FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 18.2 | 4.4 | 6.2 | .394 | .333 |
| 2024 Semifinals | 22.5 | 6.5 | 5.0 | .545 | .400 |
Jonquel Jones has been her usual steady self, averaging a double-double, but Las Vegas has been able to hold Betnijah Laney-Hamilton in check.
| Jonquel Jones | PPG | RPG |
FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 14.2 | 9.0 | .538 | .388 |
| 2024 Semifinals | 13.5 | 10.0 | .500 | .500 |
| Betnijah Laney-Hamilton |
PPG | APG | FG% | 3G% |
| 2024 Regular Season | 11.9 | 3.3 | .456 | .402 |
| 2024 Semifinals | 6.0 | 2.0 | .267 | .286 |
Should the Aces win Friday, Game 4 of the series will tip at 12 pm PT on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Michelob ULTRA Arena, and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.