WNBA Finals 2023: 3 Instant Reactions to Aces vs. Liberty Matchup
The WNBA Finals matchup is officially set.
The New York Liberty defeated the Connecticut Sun 87-84 on Sunday to win their semifinal series 3-1 and advance to the Finals for the first time since 2022, setting up a showdown with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Here are three instant reactions to the upcoming championship series.
WNBA's Best Teams Complete Inevitable Journey
The Liberty and Aces meeting in the WNBA Finals comes as little surprise, as this seemed like an inevitability dating back to the offseason.
New York had a monumental spring by bringing in former WNBA MVPs Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones as well as veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot. Las Vegas maintained its core from its 2022 championship team while also adding star Candace Parker.
The two teams proved to be a level above the rest of the league, finishing first and second in the standings, respectively. The Aces (34-6) and Liberty (32-8) were the only two teams in the WNBA to lose less than 10 games this year. Both teams cruised through the playoffs, with New York's loss to Connecticut in Game 1 of the semifinals marking the only postseason loss for either team.
The regular-season series between New York and Las Vegas was split 2-2, with three games decided by double digits. However, the Liberty also earned a dominant win over the Aces in the Commissioner's Cup Championship.
All of this makes for an exciting matchup between the two best teams in the league.
A'ja Wilson Gets Opportunity at Revenge vs. Breanna Stewart
Two of the best players in the league will clash on a nightly basis when the Liberty and Aces meet in the Finals.
Stewart was named the recipient of the 2023 WNBA MVP award, but it was a slim margin of victory. Aces star A'ja Wilson finished third in the voting with 433 points, behind Stewart's 446 and Suns star Alyssa Thomas' 439.
Wilson played in all 40 games this season and averaged 22.8 points on 55.7 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 steals. Stewart also didn't miss a game and averaged a career-high 23.0 points along with 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals. Both players put forth MVP-worthy campaigns, but Wilson's third-place finish still felt like a snub.
Wilson, who even inexplicably received a fourth-place vote, admitted that not winning the MVP award this year "hurt like hell." Now, she gets the opportunity to exact some revenge on Stewart.
New York's star forward has not performed particularly well against Las Vegas this year. Stewart was held to under 20 points and less than 40 percent from the field in three out of the five matchups against the Aces.
It's clear that Wilson will be motivated to make a statement against the Liberty, so Stewart will have to be at her best if she hopes to lead New York to its first championship.
Supporting Casts for Both Teams Will Be X-Factors
While Wilson and Stewart are the headliners of the matchup between the Aces and Liberty, the play of the supporting casts for both teams will be what decides who ends up hoisting the championship trophy.
There is an abundance of star power on both sides, so neither team will be daunted by the moment. The Aces have the advantage of playing in their third Finals series in the last four years.
Wilson is supported by a trio of star guards in Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. All of them are averaging more than 15 points during the postseason. Gray and Young are combining for 11.4 assists per game.
On the other side, the Liberty have five players averaging over 10 points in the playoffs with Stewart, Jones, Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney. Jones has been dominant on the boards with 12.8 rebounds per game, and she's coming off a monster 25-point, 15-rebound outing in the close-out game against the Sun.
It will be interesting to see who else steps up from either team, as the Aces and Liberty are in for a tough battle over the course of their Finals series.