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Gray, last year's Finals MVP, suffered a left
foot injury in the fourth quarter of Game 3 on Sunday. Stokes,
who had started 30 straight games (regular season and playoffs)
at center, also suffered a foot injury; neither will play in the
potential clinching game of the best-of-five series.
The Aces lead two games to one as they try to become the first
team since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks to win back-to-back
WNBA titles. Aces coach Becky Hammon said both Gray and Stokes
are considered questionable if a winner-take-all Game 5 is
needed Friday night in Las Vegas.
Without Gray, the Aces could turn to Kelsey Plum to play point
guard. Plum has scored at least 23 points in every game of this
series, including 29 on Sunday, when the Liberty found their
shot and handed the Aces their first loss of the postseason,
87-73.
"You're gonna see a lot more times where Jackie (Young) and KP
are at the top more since I'm not out there," Gray told
reporters. "Our system being fluid actually really helps in that
way."
Jonquel Jones pulled New York back in the series Sunday by
scoring 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-7 from
behind the arc, and adding eight rebounds and three blocks.
Perhaps more importantly, the Liberty held Las Vegas star A'ja
Wilson to 4-of-16 shooting, even though she still wound up with
a double-double (16 points, 11 boards). The Liberty outrebounded
Las Vegas for the first time in the series, with MVP Breanna
Stewart contributing 20 points and 12 rebounds.
"(The aggressiveness) was really good," Liberty big Stefanie
Dolson said. "JJ and Stewie have the most length ... they
disrupt A'ja a lot and disrupt anyone who comes into the paint."
The two Finals teams split the regular-season series 2-2,
although the Liberty crushed the host Aces 82-63 in the
Commissioner's Cup championship game.
New York is one of two teams that beat the Aces in Las Vegas all
year.
--Field Level Media
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