The Las Vegas Aces were not going to go down easily. They put up a huge fight in Game 2 of this WNBA semifinal series but fell short. They flew home to Vegas from New York knowing they were going to have to win three straight games to return to the WNBA Finals and aim for a three-peat. The defending champions were in a terrible position, and it remains true today that their odds of winning this series are low.
All the Aces could do on Friday night in Game 3 was win one game. They couldn't win three in a row. They had to win Friday in order to see another day on Sunday. There's a lot of pride in that locker room. Coach Becky Hammon didn't have to fire up her players. They all knew what was at stake. The question was if Game 2's excruciating defeat would take the air out of the team and lead to a deflated performance and the end of the Aces' season.
The first half was played on very even terms. New York and Las Vegas traded blows, just as they did in Game 2. At halftime, Vegas had a three-point lead, and it seemed this game was likely to come down to the wire. Then came the third quarter. Everything abruptly changed.
The Aces held the Liberty to six points in the third quarter. The WNBA's top seed was brought down to earth in a 10-minute sequence in which nothing went right. Three of the four quarters were virtually even, but the Aces' 21-6 third quarter paved the way for a comfortable 95-81 win which was actually more decisive than that. Vegas boosted its lead to 21 at 88-67 with four minutes left. Vegas not only extended the series; it didn't need its stars to play high-stress minutes at the end of the game.
The Liberty are still clear favorites to win the series, but Vegas has shown it will be a tough out, and that a deciding Game 5 in New York on Tuesday is a distinct possibility.
The Liberty lost Game 3 because Sabrina Ionescu was 1 of 7 from the field. That's not going to happen in Game 4. Vegas got great performances from Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, who combined to score 44 points on 18-of-29 shooting. Chances are the Liberty will play better defense against them in Game 4. It will be hard for the Aces to play to the same high standard they displayed in Game 3.
Why The Aces Can Cover The Spread/Win
The Aces have multiple players playing well. Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young joining A'Ja Wilson gives Vegas the Big Three it needs to come back in this series. Vegas is 3-0 at home this postseason, so the idea that the Aces can win Game 4 seems more than reasonable. This series has not been lopsided. The Liberty controlled Game 1, but Game 2 was played on even terms and Vegas separated itself from New York in Game 3. It doesn't feel like a series in which the outcome seems inevitable. Game 3 changed that.
Final Liberty-Aces Prediction & Pick
The Aces showed why they are the champions in Game 3, but the Liberty are likely to play better in Game 4. Take the Liberty, who are getting a few points against the spread.