Aces High: Las Vegas Reigns Again in WNBA

Bench Mob Steps Up

Phoenix gave a respectful effort in its attempt to contain superstar center A’ja Wilson in Game 1. The Mercury threw different traps and defenders at her, and it worked for awhile, making the reigning MVP work for her 21 points. Even with what they threw at Wilson, she still shot a solid 7-of-16 from the field. Good defense. Better offense.

The Mercury led 71-67 after three quarters in the series opener, but reserves Jewell Loyd (18 points) and Dana Evans (21 points) helped lift the Aces to an 89-86 victory. For the Mercury, their main focus, and rightly so, was to contain Wilson. The Mercury was willing to make the supporting cast beat them, and that’s what they were willing to live with. Loyd and Evans gave them no choice as they bent Phoenix’s defense to their will.

While Game 1 highlighted the contributions of the bench, they were a constant throughout the series as various players made timely shots and played relentless defense in critical moments.

The Switch-Up

While the play from Loyd and Evans was a huge factor in the Aces’ win in Game 1, it is their defense that flipped the game and set the tone for the rest of the series.

For the majority of the game, Las Vegas struggled to keep Thomas out of the paint, and they couldn’t guard Phoenix's pick-and-roll, where the guards would screen for Thomas. Wilson specifically had trouble navigating these screens due to her size.

Aces coach Becky Hammon adjusted by switching to a zone defense for 18 plays, on which the Mercury shot 4-for-15 from the field and committed three turnovers.  Switching to the zone helped Las Vegas play smaller lineups. Hammon knew that her smaller guards, such as Evans, would be in many screening actions where they guard the Mercury frontcourt of Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Satou Sabally. The zone helped the guards use their speed without being susceptible to mismatches.

In Game 2, the Aces used all-ball screens and held the Mercury to their second-lowest point total (78) of their postseason run. In Game 3, Hammon used a mixture of zone and elements of man defense to confuse and disrupt the Mercury’s offense and take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

The Aces’ suffocating defense continued in Game 4, when they forced the Mercury into 18 turnovers.

Going into the series, it was the Mercury who had the advantage on defense. In the end, however, it was the Aces’ defense that made its mark in this series.

MVP Behavior

Before the Mercury lost Sabally to a concussion for the series, they were mismatched.  Despite their best efforts on defense, there was no effective answer for Wilson. She scored in various ways and got nearly any shot she wanted. Again, great offense trumps great defense, and it’s difficult to contain a three-level scorer.

Wilson broke the record for most points in a WNBA Finals series with 112, passing Cappie Pondexter. She also passed Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart for the most 30-plus point games in the playoffs (five). Finally, she became the only player in league history to consecutively record a stat line of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game.

Wilson also came up clutch when the Aces needed her the most. As Las Vegas trailed by 17 in Game 3, Wilson once again put the team on her back, totaling 34 points, plus the game-winner.

Her dominance continued in Game 4, when she recorded 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals, concluding a legendary season for the 29-year-old, with the regular-season MVP, Finals MVP, co-Defensive Player Of The Year award and the scoring title.

The Aces overcame adversity all season long. They were on the verge of missing the playoffs at one point. They overcame scares from the Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever in the postseason to establish a new dynasty in the league.  No matter how hard opponents may try, when it’s it’s winning time, the house always wins.