Breanna Stewart was on a mission in the New York Liberty’s 87-77 win over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 1 of their WNBA semifinals series on Sunday. After leading the Liberty with 20 first-half points, Stewart made a bold promise to fans at Barclays Center, telling them she has “a lot to make up for” following last year’s postseason disappointment.
Historically, WNBA teams that win the first game of a best-of-five series go on to take the series 77% of the time. The Liberty are hoping that history repeats itself, especially given their struggles in last year’s semifinals when they dropped Game 1 to the Connecticut Sun before rallying to win the series 3-1. However, Stewart’s postseason performance in 2023 left her feeling like there was unfinished business after the Liberty eventually fell to the Aces in the Finals, where Stewart shot just 35.8% from the field and 19.6% from three-point range.
Speaking about the challenges she faced off the court last year, Stewart acknowledged that personal hardships, including her father-in-law’s cancer battle and the birth of her second child, weighed on her.
“I think I've just kind of grown from it,” Stewart said of her 2023 postseason disappointment, as reported by Michael Voepel of ESPN. “I've had – unfortunately – a lot of time to reflect on it, and where can I be better. And how to handle things collectively better. But with that, I don't forget who I am and what I can do.”
Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu secure win for Liberty
Stewart’s dominant performance in Game 1, combined with Sabrina Ionescu’s second-half surge (scoring 21 points), helped the Liberty secure the win against an Aces team led by WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. The Liberty’s defense was crucial, limiting Wilson to 21 points and a season-low six rebounds while holding the Aces to just two offensive boards all game. Head coach Sandy Brondello emphasized that the team stuck to their scouting report, which involved “throwing different looks” at Wilson and forcing contested shots.
The Liberty also excelled in transition, outscoring the Aces 16-6 on fast-break points. Aces coach Becky Hammon acknowledged the Liberty’s ability to dictate the tempo, noting how New York’s defense wore down Las Vegas by picking them up full-court throughout the game.
“That gets to be exhausting,” Hammon said, per Russell Steinberg of ClutchPoints. “There's a wear-down factor there, and I thought they did that.”
Stewart, who remains laser-focused on the goal ahead, is determined to lead the Liberty to their first WNBA championship. The Aces and the Liberty square-off in Game 2 of the best-of-five series on Tuesday.
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