The WNBA Semifinals are underway tonight with both games facing elimination. The Atlanta Dream are looking to shut down the New York Liberty and move into the Finals. The Golden State Valkyries are also wanting to put away MVP A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces. Who will move on? Who will be in this year’s WNBA Finals?
Both teams are down in the series 2-0 and are heading into Game three tonight where they can be sent home in the best-of-five series. The Liberty will be at home at Barclays Center against the Dream. Atlanta has won both games during the regular season against the Liberty in overtime.
As for the Aces, they have beaten Golden State 3-0 in the regular season but are also in danger of getting swept by Valkyries in the semifinals. A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces will have to turn on the jets and make some magic happen if her and the Aces do not want to be sent home and even worse swept by a second season expansion team.
The Aces A’ja Wilson is a five-time MVP and the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart is a two-time MVP and are used to winning games and championships. They will both need to put their teams on their backs to win and stay alive. No team in WNBA history has come back to win a best-of-five series when down 2-0.
The Liberty need to regroup, they have been holding onto the ball for too long. Atlanta has also scored 20-plus points off turnovers, which cannot happen. But you have to give credit to the Dream’s defense they have led the league in steals this season and can punish a team by scoring on the turnovers.
While the Liberty try to figure out how to reset, the Aces are also facing terrible rebounding in both games. In the regular season, both Golden State and Las Vegas were identical in averaging 33.4 rebounds a game. However, All-Star guard Jackie Young has been held to 12.5 points per game in this best-of-five series. But do not blame everything on Young; the Aces collectively do not look like the powerhouse team they have been all season.
The Atlanta Dream have made the WNBA Finals three times but were swept in all three appearances. To return to the Finals, they must close out the series tonight against the Liberty. The Dream have core players they can rely on to close out this best-of-five series: Jordin Canada and Angel Reese. Both players have made an impact in the series by scoring 20-plus points, steals, and assists.
The Golden State Valkyries can complete the sweep as night as well against the Aces. But the question will be whether the Valkyries keep the momentum going by frustrating the Aces in rebounds, scoring, and playing exceptional defense. This is only Golden State’s second season in the WNBA. They are an expansion team; if they can make it to their first WNBA Finals, that would definitely be remarkable.
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