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Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon was clear about what frustrated her the most after the team’s Game 2 loss to the New York Liberty in the WNBA semifinals on Tuesday. It wasn’t the officiating or the performance of the Liberty; it was her own team’s defensive breakdowns, especially when it came to allowing easy baskets.
“I'm not mad at the officials, I'm not mad at the New York Liberty,” Hammon said, as reported by Michael Voepel of ESPN. “I'm mad at us because of the amount of layups we're giving up. It was a thing in the first game, a thing in the second game. And if it's going to be a thing in the third, we're not going to win. They're too good.”
The Aces now find themselves in a tough position, down 0-2 in the best-of-five series after the 88-84 loss at Barclays Center. No WNBA team has ever come back from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, but Hammon’s team is determined to make history. Aces guard Chelsea Gray emphasized that their mentality moving forward is simple: “I love being in the history books, so might as well try to start there.”
Aces face daunting challenge as they try to climb back from 0-2 series deficit
The Liberty’s win put them on the brink of advancing to the WNBA Finals, with standout performances from Sabrina Ionescu, who had 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Breanna Stewart. Ionescu has been a consistent threat throughout the series, and Hammon acknowledged that the Aces struggled to contain her.
“We had a scheme in Game 1 that we didn’t execute,” Hammon said. “And tonight, I just felt like we didn’t keep her in front of us as well as we probably could have.”
Turnovers were another key issue for Las Vegas. The Aces committed 12 turnovers, including a costly one with 10.1 seconds remaining. A miscommunication between Gray and Kelsey Plum resulted in a turnover, giving New York the opportunity to seal the game at the free-throw line.
Despite the mounting pressure, the Aces aren’t giving up. With the series shifting to Las Vegas for Game 3, Gray stressed the importance of the team’s mentality from the start.
“It starts with our mentality from the beginning,” she said. “Being the aggressor on both ends of the floor. It’s going to take a full 40 minutes to get it done.”
Facing elimination, the Aces will need to win three straight games to keep their quest for a three-peat alive. The Liberty and the Aces play Game 3 on Friday in Las Vegas.
