Game 1 of the WNBA Finals went to the No. 1 seed Las Vegas Aces as they beat the No. 2 seed New York Liberty 99-82. The Aces got a superb performance from their guards, with both Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum scoring 26 points and Chelsea Gray adding 20 points, six rebounds and nine assists to secure the win and remain unbeaten in the playoffs.
New York got great first half from Marine Johannès, who outscored the Aces bench by herself with 14 points. But it wasn’t enough. The Liberty went cold from 3 in the second half, shooting 1-for-9 from beyond the arc as the Aces outscored the Liberty 53-33 after halftime. Sabrina Ionescu struggled all game, shooting 2-for-7 from the field and mustering seven points.
Key moments
The parity between these two teams was clear from the jump, with both exchanging shots during the opening minutes. The Liberty threw different looks at the Aces, including a 1-2-2 zone. Head coach Sandy Brondello also brought Marine Johannès into the game early, hoping to replicate her success against the Aces in the Commissioner’s Cup. It worked as Johannès led all scorers in the opening quarter with eight points, giving the Liberty a 25-22 lead after one.
Johannès continued her stellar night in the second quarter, draining 3 after 3, including an…
