WNBA Playoffs | Semifinal results | Tuesday
Aces 91, Wings 84
Las Vegas leads series 2-0
LAS VEGAS — After saying it “hurt like hell” to just miss out on winning her third MVP, A’ja Wilson responded with 30 points and 11 rebounds to help lift the Las Vegas Aces to a victory over the Dallas Wings and 2-0 series lead in the WNBA semifinals.
The top-seeded Aces can close out the best-of-five series when it shifts to Dallas on Friday.
Las Vegas also received contributions from Chelsea Gray with 23 points and eight assists, Kelsey Plum with 18 points, and Jackie Young with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Arike Ogunbowale led No. 4 Dallas with 24 points, Natasha Howard had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Teaira McCowan added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Satou Sabally scored 13 points.
Wilson came out determined, scoring 10 points and collecting four rebounds in the first quarter. After driving by Howard for a transition layup and 3-point play late in the period, the crowded chanted “M-V-P!” when Wilson went to the free-throw line. That became a theme as the crowd voiced its support for Wilson over winner Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty.
The two are expected to meet in the WNBA Finals, but both teams still have work to do, and the Wings showed they had no intention of making it easy for the Aces. Dallas went on a 14-2 run from late in the second quarter to early in the second half to come to within 44-43.
The Wings tied the game at 49 before Plum put the Aces back in front for good with a 3-pointer to ignite an 11-2 run.
But Dallas didn’t go away, cutting the deficit to 73-68 early in the fourth quarter and staying within reach the rest of the way. Ogunbowale’s long past to Howard for the layup on the fast break brought the Wings to within 85-81 with 1:36 left before the Aces survived with the victory.
Liberty 84, Sun 77 Series tied 1-1
NEW YORK — Sabrina Ionescu scored 21 points and Betnijah Laney added 20 to help the New York Liberty beat the Connecticut Sun 84-77 on Tuesday night, evening the best-of-five series at 1-1.
Game 3 is Friday night in Connecticut.
New York led 59-57 to start the fourth quarter before the team went on a 13-5 run to start the period. Breanna Stewart, who was having a rough offensive night hours after she was honored as the WNBA’s MVP, hit her first 3-pointer of the series to cap the spurt and give the Liberty a 72-62 advantage. Stewart had missed her first 11 3s in the opening two games.
Connecticut was able to get within striking distance a few times after that, but Laney answered with key 3-pointers. Her second one made it 80-70 with 2:55 left. Laney was coming off a rough Game 1 where she had just three points.
The Sun scored five straight to make one final push, trailing 80-75 with 1:43 left before Ionescu hit two free throws and then got a steal on the next possession to seal the win.
Tiffany Hayes scored 30 points and DeWanna Bonner added 19 to lead Connecticut.
The Liberty, who scored a season-low 63 points in Game 1, trailed by four at the half before getting going in the third quarter. They were down 47-45 before scoring 11 straight, including Stewart’s first basket of the game. New York was up 59-50 with 4:14 left in the third before going scoreless the rest of the period as the Sun cut their deficit to 59-57.
Before the game, Stewart was awarded the league’s MVP trophy by WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert much to the delight of the sellout crowd that included Grammy award winner Alicia Keys.