LAS VEGAS — Letdown? What letdown?
Not a chance. Not when it’s the playoffs and there’s still work to be accomplished.
The fact the Las Vegas Aces came rolling into the WNBA Playoffs having won a franchise-record 16 straight games seemed irrelevant Sunday. Because as Seattle Storm coach Noelle Quinn pointed out, everyone starts 0-0 when it’s the postseason.
Still, the second-seeded Aces kept the mojo going at Michelob Ultra Arena, crushing Seattle 102-77 to win Game 1 and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 opening-round series. Game 2 will be Tuesday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Which makes sense because the Storm issued more hits against A’ja Wilson than their co-tenants, the Kraken do.
Seattle tried to get physical with the three-time MVP who’s seeking a fourth such league honor. It didn’t work as Wilson kept her cool, paraded to the foul line to go 8-of-10 and finished with 29 points.
“We’re setting the tone at shootaround to make sure we’re on the same page,” Wilson said. “Now’s the time we have to bring our ‘A’ game. It’s about playing perfect basketball at the right time.”
Honestly, I’m not sure what the Storm can do to contain Wilson. Roughhouse basketball isn’t going to deter her. And nobody can guard her 1-on-1. Barring a 180-degree turnaround Tuesday, the No. 7-seeded Storm are going to be done, allowing them to watch hockey practice and learn a few things about bodychecking from Lane Lambert’s guys.
“We were prepared. We had an idea of what we wanted to do,” said Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike. “But they did what they wanted to do.”
As for the Aces, they remain on their trajectory of getting back to the WNBA Finals and looking to cap off what has been a remarkable season. Remember, this team was playing .500 basketball as late as Aug. 2 when it was 14-14 and still searching for answers in the wake of a 111-58 butt-kicking at the hands of the Minnesota Lynx.
But we know the story of what has transpired since. Wilson took her game to another level if that was possible. Jackie Young did likewise. Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray recalibrated their roles and their games and NaLyssa Smith became Wilson’s consigliere down in the paint.
And coach Becky Hammon never gave up on her team, exasperated as she may have been at times with their lack of defense.
“They were locked in,” Hammon said of her team’s defensive effort Sunday. “When we’re playing defense, we’re hard to beat. Everyone eats. There’s plenty for everyone at the table.”
What Sunday was about was the Aces sending a message to the rest of the W: “Don’t mess with us. We can take whatever you can dish out because we’re tougher than you.”
For the first time this year, everyone was available to Hammon. And while it’s nice to see Cheyenne Parker-Tyus on the floor after she had a baby earlier in the season and to have Kiah Stokes and Kierstan Bell contributing along with Dana Evans, who had 13 points off the bench in Game 1, this remains the domain of Wilson and Young, who had 18 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals Sunday.
“We’re going to have to rinse and repeat Tuesday in Seattle,” Hammon said.
The postgame hugs and handshakes are 40 minutes away.
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