CNN
—
As the WNBA season hurtles towards its conclusion and four teams compete for a spot in the finals, the Las Vegas Aces staved off elimination with a win against the New York Liberty, while Napheesa Collier made franchise history for the Minnesota Lynx as they took a 2-1 series lead over the Connecticut Sun.
Facing elimination and the prospect of being swept in the WNBA semifinals, the two-time defending champions romped to a 95-81 victory over the Liberty in Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Friday.
Victory keeps Las Vegas’ three-peat hopes alive for now, but the franchise will still have to make WNBA history to advance, since no team has ever overcome a 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series.
“Everything was just on point with everybody,” Aces coach Becky Hammon told reporters afterward. “I think that was probably our most complete game of the season, the game I’ve been waiting for and believing in that they had.”
The game was still hanging in the balance at the half with the Aces leading 52-49. But after the break, the defending champions went on a 16-point run in the third quarter and led by 24 points at one point in the fourth to seize control of the game.
Jackie Young scored 24 points and Kelsey Plum scored 20 points, while league MVP A’ja Wilson tallied 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Aces’ defense effectively shut down Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, keeping her scoreless until the fourth quarter, not giving her “the light of day,” as she said afterward, per ESPN.
“They lost two games allowing me to come off screens and pick them apart offensively,” she said. “So I think this game you were able to see the adjustments they made – sending two or three to the ball at one time and not letting me get anything easy. There were usually three people in my face, no matter what.”
Until Friday, the Aces hadn’t defeated the Liberty all season, losing their three regular season games as well as the first two games in this playoff series. The win also marked Las Vegas’ 12th consecutive home playoff victory, breaking the WNBA record previously shared by the Los Angeles Sparks (2001-04) and Sacramento Monarchs (2003-06).
Vegas will once again have home court advantage when the teams next play at the Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday at 3pm ET in Game 4 of the series.
Elsewhere on Friday, Collier led the Minnesota Lynx to a 90-81 victory over the Connecticut Sun, scoring 26 points as she bounced back after struggling in Game 2.
The Lynx now hold a 2-1 lead in the series and can advance to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017 if they win Game 4 on Sunday.
Collier made franchise history with her performance as she contributed 26 points and 11 rebounds, becoming the first Lynx player to tally multiple 25-point, 10-rebound games in the playoffs.
“It’s the law of averages. Sometimes you have an off night,” she told ESPN, afterward, referring to her Game 2 performance where she scored nine points. “But I knew I had to come in – it’s the playoffs. You have to play with an aggressive mindset, not remembering what happened the game before, but staying in the present moment.”
Game 4 is in Connecticut on Sunday at 5pm ET.