The New York Liberty got off to a flaming hot start in their semifinal series against the Las Vegas Aces, jumping out to a 2-0 lead with an impressive performance in Game 1 and a gritty win in Game 2. They came to Las Vegas with three chances to close out the two-time defending champs and earn revenge for their loss in the WNBA Finals last season.

Their first chance came and went with a flash. The champs weren't ready to go down without a fight, as the Aces threw a massive punch in the third quarter and ran the Liberty out of the building in a 95-81 win. After the game, Liberty star Breanna Stewart shared a blunt admission about the second half drubbing in Game 3, according to Alexa Philippou of ESPN.

“This s–t isn't easy and we saw that tonight,” Stewart said, per Philippou.

The Liberty will get another chance to send the Aces home for good on Sunday afternoon when the two teams clash in Game 4 in Las Vegas.

What Liberty must fix in Game 4 against the Aces

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) celebrates after defeating the Las Vegas Aces 88-84 in game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center.
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Liberty were lifeless in the second half against the Aces on Friday night, getting run out of the gym in the third quarter after hanging around for a half. The first half was one of the most competitive, exciting halves of basketball of the season, as the 18 lead changes in the first 20 minutes set a new WNBA playoff record.

Any fix for the Liberty has to start on the defensive end, where they got carved up all night in Game 3. The Aces finished with 22 assists and shot over 52% from the field, and that includes some reserves checking in at the end of the game who don't normally get much run.

The Liberty were giving up far too many open looks to the Aces' top players, some of whom have been struggling so far in this series. When you allow Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray to all get going offensively in the first half, you're in for a long night.

Offensively, the Liberty have to figure out how to get Sabrina Ionescu involved again. After the star guard had a couple of big nights in New York to start the series, the Aces hounded her up and down the floor on Friday, harassing her with bumps, double teams and traps, doing anything to get the ball out of her hands.

The plan worked better than even Becky Hammon and the Aces could have expected, as Ionescu was held to just four points on 1-of-7 shooting in 30 minutes.

The Liberty experimented with having Breanna Stewart initiate the offense in the past, and that could be an avenue to getting Ionescu some more open looks. It's harder to be physical with Ionescu when she's playing off the ball, and New York can use her shooting gravity to space the floor and open it up for other good looks. Look for that adjustment in Game 4 on Sunday.