The New York Liberty won Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals by beating the Las Vegas Aces, 87-77.
Breanna Stewart’s Historic Performance:
Breanna Stewart led the charge with a historic game. She became only the second player in WNBA history to score at least 34 points, grab five rebounds, and dish out four assists while shooting over 63% from the field. Stathead confirms this feat, matching Napheesa Collier’s performance against the Phoenix Mercury on September 25.
Stewart was incredibly efficient, hitting 12 of her 19 shots overall and sinking two out of four three-pointers. Most of her points came from outside shots, showing off her versatility even though she usually plays forward or center.
Motivation Against The Aces:
Stewart seemed extra driven to beat the Aces. This isn’t surprising since Las Vegas knocked New York out of last year’s playoffs by winning their final series 3-1.
Team Effort and Key Players:
While Stewart shined, Sabrina Ionescu also played a big role. She scored 21 points on nine-of-16 shooting, including three three-pointers, and added five assists and four rebounds. On the other side, Kelsey Plum (24 points), MVP A’ja Wilson (21 points), and Jackie Young (17 points) led Las Vegas but couldn’t carry their team alone; Alysha Clark was their only other player with more than four points, scoring nine.
Fans love seeing such intense matchups!
Since losing to Las Vegas in last year’s finals, New York has dominated them this season. Sunday’s win makes it a perfect 4-0 record against the Aces this year. Now they need just two more wins to reach the championship round again!
