The first game of this highly anticipated playoff matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm did not disappoint. Both teams came into game 1 of the WNBA semifinals with a lot of confidence after sweeping through their first round matchups. Seattle got off to a hot start in the 1st quarter of game 1 leading 15-4 early on. The Aces responded well in the 2nd quarter led by their all star in Aja Wilson who helped them cut the lead to 3. Breanna Stewart helped to stop the bleeding by scoring 9 of the 17 Storm points in the 2nd quarter closing the half up 43-36.
The game became even more competitive in the 2nd half as the Aces were matching the Storm shot for shot and eventually took the lead midway through the 4th. From there, Jewell Lloyd took over by hitting multiple clutch shots to close out the game. Lloyd finished with a game-high 26 points and led the Storm to an impressive 76-73 victory on the road.
Las Vegas will look to bounce back in game 2 to avoid falling in a 0-2 hole but to do so they will need to be more efficient offensively. The entire starting lineup for the Aces finished the game with a negative +/- rating. The Aces will need their stars in particular to play better as Aja Wilson finished with just 8 points on 3-10 from the field and Kelsey Plum finished with 20 points but shot just 8-23 from the field. Wilson and Plum are due for a bounce back game to help the Aces tie the series before the series shifts to Seattle.
As for Seattle, they came into they came into the series as the lowest remaining seed in the playoffs and playing the top seeded Aces on the road. Game 1 proved the Storm were unfazed by the challenge ahead of them thanks to their championship experience and veteran leadership. Their win allowed them to take home court advantage from the Aces as they will look to take a commanding 2-0 in game 2.
Despite the disappointing loss in Game 1, I still expect the Aces to return to form and not just win game 2 but win the series in 5 to earn a trip to the NBA finals. The Las Vegas Aces have been the top offensive team in the league all season long and are still my favorites to win the WNBA title this year. In order to reach these expectations the Aces will need their newly crowned defensive player of the year in Aja Wilson to dominate on both sides of the floor the rest of this series.
Source: WNBA YouTube Channel
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