The New York Liberty earned an impressive 87-77 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday in Game 1 of the semifinals. Breanna Stewart led the way with 34 points. Sabrina Ionescu added 21 points. Las Vegas has won back-to-back championships, but New York had the best record in the WNBA during the 2024 regular season. The Aces have what it takes to pull off an upset but the Liberty looked sharp in Game 1.
Are the Liberty a team of destiny in 2024? Well, they are playing with confidence. Stewart sent a fiery message after the game on Sunday, via the WNBA.
"We're hungry," Stewart said. "We just want to continue to be better. We know that tonight we got the win, but it's more than one win to win a series and we're going to be ready on Tuesday."
Ionescu then sent a message to the fans.
"Show up! We need you guys," Ionescu said.
Ionescu's message is important. The Liberty need to take advantage of playing at home to open the series. The Aces are extremely difficult to contain when they develop momentum. Las Vegas feeds off their home crowd. As a result, the Liberty need to take care of business at home.
As mentioned, Stewart and Ionescu both played at a high level. However, Jonquel Jones' effort should not be ignored. Jones recorded a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double in the win. Stewart, Ionescu and Jones combined for 68 points in a dominant performance.
The Liberty did an impressive job of containing A'ja Wilson, who only scored 21 points. 21 points is a tremendous mark for most players, but Wilson, the 2024 WNBA MVP, is capable of lighting up the scoreboard in any game.
Liberty-Aces series outlook after Game 1
The Liberty are in the driver's seat. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday in New York as the Liberty look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. It will arguably be a must-win contest for the Aces, as they don't want to fall down 2-0 in the series.
The series will head back to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Friday night. For now, both teams will focus on preparing for Game 2 in what will be a crucial affair without question. If the Aces are able to earn a road win, then they will be able to head home with the series tied at one game apiece. That is a situation the Liberty would certainly love to avoid.