The Las Vegas Aces avoided a sweep on Friday night, earning a 95-81 victory over the New York Liberty at home. New York still holds a 2-1 lead in the series but Las Vegas can make things especially interesting with a Game 4 win. For now, the Aces will focus on building on their Game 3 victory. Although the Liberty still lead the series, New York has reason for concern.
The Aces are difficult to stop when their stars are all playing well
A'ja Wilson has consistently been reliable in 2024. After all, she won the WNBA MVP Award for good reason. When all of the Aces stars are playing well, though, Las Vegas is almost impossible to contain.
Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Tiffany Hayes all scored in double figures in the game. Young and Plum both stepped up in a pivotal manner alongside Wilson, as the three stars combined for 63 total points. Young led the way with 24 points.
When the Aces are scoring at such a high level, all opponents can do is try to win in a shootout. Good defense helps matters, but Las Vegas features an incredibly high offensive ceiling. Consistency has been a concern at times in 2024, but if the team's scoring attack can build off the Game 3 momentum then the Liberty will be in serious trouble.
Turnovers tell the story
The Aces were the best team in the WNBA at taking care of the ball during the season. In order to win the series, Las Vegas was going to need to limit turnovers. That is exactly what they did in Game 3.
Las Vegas recorded only nine turnovers. Meanwhile, the Liberty had 12 turnovers, and the Aces capitalized by scoring 13 points off turnovers compared to only six points in the same scenario for the Liberty.
Having less turnovers than an opponent does not guarantee a victory. It does, however, give a team a tremendous opportunity to earn a win.
Points in the paint
The Aces always have a chance to win the points in the paint battle given A'ja Wilson's dominance. On Friday, however, Las Vegas utilized a complete team effort en route to cruising to a 42-28 points in the paint advantage.
The Aces must continue to find ways to score at an efficient rate near the basket. Doing so will place the pressure on the Liberty throughout the remainder of the series.