Aces open playoffs vs. Sky in matchup of past two champions
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[September 13, 2023]
The Las Vegas Aces will begin their defense of their WNBA
crown when they host the Chicago Sky on Wednesday night in the first
contest of a three-game, first-round playoff series.
The top-seeded Aces will host Games 1 and 2. If a third game is
necessary, it will be played in Chicago on Sept. 20.
Las Vegas (34-6) set an WNBA record for victories during a
dominating season in which it scored at least 100 points on 11
occasions and posted a record 25 double-digit victories.
The Aces enter the postseason with momentum after winning their past
four games.
"If you had said 34-6 to me back in May, I would have jumped at that
in a second," Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon told reporters. "And here
we are. The amount of energy and effort (the players) put into being
professionals, their approach to the game -- they were so good."
The Aces swept the three-game regular-season series against the
eighth-seeded Sky (18-22). Las Vegas won the matchups by an average
of 10.7 points.
Chicago, which won the 2021 WNBA title, finished the season strong
with three straight victories and five in six games.
Courtney Williams had 23 points, a career-best 16 rebounds and a
career-high-tying 13 assists as the Sky beat the host Connecticut
Sun 102-91 in overtime in Sunday's regular-season finale. It was her
second career triple-double and the sixth in franchise history.
Williams isn't too concerned about Chicago's underdog status in the
series.
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"It's a different game," Williams said. "The
playoffs are a whole other ball game. It's pretty much 0-0."
Three-time All-Star Kahleah Copper was WNBA Finals
MVP when Chicago won the 2021 title. She is the Sky's leading scorer
with a career-best 18.7 points per game, but she missed the
regular-season finale due to a toe injury.
The Aces are led by two-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, who is a leading
candidate again this season after averaging 22.8 points and 9.5
rebounds per game.
Las Vegas has three other All-Stars on the roster in Kelsey Plum
(18.7 ppg), Jackie Young (17.6) and Chelsea Gray (15.3 points, 7.3
assists per game). Gray was WNBA Finals MVP last season.
The Aces completed the regular season with a 100-85 home win over
the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday. Wilson scored 36 points and Plum
added 30.
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"Forget everything that happened in the regular season," Plum said.
"You have to treat it as a one-and-done type of thing in terms of
our sense of urgency."
The Los Angeles Sparks (2001-02) are the most recent team to repeat
as WNBA champions.
--Field Level Media
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