The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here: It’s time for postseason basketball.
The No. 4-seed Las Vegas Aces (27-13) will begin their WNBA title defense against the No. 5 Seattle Storm (25-15). The opening round is a best-of-three, with Las Vegas hosting Game 1 and Game 2, while a winner-take-all Game 3 would be at Seattle. Having the final game on the home court of the lower-seeded team doesn’t sit well with me, but that’s the current rules and we have to play by them.
Let’s examine the matchup and see which team is likely to come out on top.
How the Aces can win
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Las Vegas will be and should be favored in this series. Everyone knows the pedigree the Aces come with, but it’s more than that. Since the Olympic break, they’ve gone 11-5 with only the Minnesota Lynx having a better record during that span.
A’ja Wilson has also somehow gotten better. As long as she’s around, the offensive game plan just needs to be to feed her as much as possible. Spam actions for Wilson until the opponent figures out how to stop her. So far, no team has discovered a method to consistently slow her or the Aces when it matters, Storm included. In the head-to-head matchups, Las Vegas came out on top, winning three of four games.
With Wilson as the offensive hub, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum carrying the offensive load in the backcourt and homecourt advantage, the goal has to be to end things in Las Vegas in a two-game sweep.
How the Storm can win
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It’s an uphill battle for Seattle, but they have some great pieces to work with. Nneka Ogwumike is averaging 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and having another All-WNBA and All-Defensive Team year. Add in the Gold Mamba Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith, and this “Big 3” is formidable.
The biggest key will be scoring for Seattle. The Aces led the league in points per game with 86.4; the Storm will have to find a way to keep up with them. To do that, they’ll have to find a weakness in the Las Vegas defense, and I believe the best option will be Kelsey Plum. The more you can force her to defend on the ball, the better. Making her work on that end will also require her to exert more energy, and potentially slow her down on offense.
It’s not best option, but these are the champs, so you have to take whatever advantage you can find and expose it.
No. 4-seed Las Vegas Aces (27-13) vs. No. 5-seed Seattle Storm (25-15)
Game 1: Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces
When: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN
Game 2: Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces
When: Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN
Game 3 (if necessary): Las Vegas Aces at Seattle Storm
When: Thursday, Sept. 16 (time TBD)
Where: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA
How to watch: ESPN 2
