The long-awaited showdown between the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty got off to an anti-climactic start on Sunday, as the Aces pulled away in the fourth quarter for a comfortable 99-82 win in Game 1 of the 2023 WNBA Finals. They remained the only undefeated team in the playoffs and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
The Aces’ talented backcourt trio of Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young led the way, combining for 72 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists on 25-of-47 shooting from the field. Plum and Young both set playoff career-highs in the process with 26 points.
Game 2 of this series is set for Wednesday night in Vegas.
Playoff bracket
Series hub
WNBA Finals schedule (best-of-five)
All games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC are streaming on fubo (try for free).
Sunday, Oct. 8 — Game 1
- Aces 99, Liberty 82 (Aces lead 1-0)
Wednesday, Oct. 11 — Game 2
- New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces, 8 p.m. ET — ESPN
Sunday, Oct. 15 — Game 3
- Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty, 3 p.m. ET — ABC
Wednesday, Oct. 18 — Game 4 (If necessary)
- Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty, 8 p.m. ET — ESPN
Friday, Oct. 20 — Game 5 (If necessary)
- New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces, 8 p.m. ET — ESPN
