The defending champion Las Vegas Aces are going back to the Finals after completing a three-game sweep of the Dallas Wings on Friday night with a dramatic 64-61 win in Game 3 of their semi-final series. In a week’s time they’ll begin the final stage of their quest to become the first time since the Las Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002 to repeat as WNBA champions.
To do so, they’ll need to play defense like they did in the final five minutes of Game 3. While the Aces produced the best offense in WNBA history during the regular season, they also led the league in defense, and locked in on that end down the stretch to steal a win, and the series, on the road.
During the final five minutes, the Aces held the Wings scoreless on 0-of-10 from the field, and closed on an 11-0 run. The Aces’ connectivity and cohesion stood out in those final possessions, as did their individual defensive talent. You need both to have an elite defense, and the Aces do.
Watch here as the clock ticks under four minutes and every player on the floor contributes to this stop. First, Kelsey Plum gets under the screen on a non-shooter in Veronica Burton to cut off any driving lane to the basket. Meanwhile, Alysha Clark out-muscles…
