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Breanna Stewart scored 34 points, Jonquel Jones recorded a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds and the New York Liberty never trailed in their 87-77 Game 1 defeat of the visiting Las Vegas Aces to open their WNBA semifinal series on Sunday.
New York opened its 2023 WNBA Finals rematch with the two-time reigning champion Aces with an early, 10-2 scoring run that set the tone for the game. The Aces briefly cut the Liberty lead to two points midway through the second quarter, but spent much of the afternoon at a deficit of eight to 18 points.
The win marked New York's fourth in a row over the defending champions, including a three-game sweep of the regular-season series. Game 2 of the five-game playoff series is set for Tuesday in New York.
The Liberty trio of Stewart, Jones and Sabrina Ionescu combined to score all but 19 of the team's points. Ionescu finished with 21 points to go with her five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
The three also went a combined 6-of-12 from 3-point range, accounting for most of New York's 8-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc. Leonie Fiebich added the other two made triples on four attempts for all six of her points.
Las Vegas, meanwhile, shot 7-of-25 from long range. Kelsey Plum, who scored a team-high 24 points, went 4-of-8 while the rest of the Aces were 3-of-17 from deep.
New York was able to get to the free-throw line more effectively, as well, capitalizing on 19 makes in 23 attempts. Las Vegas was 12-of-15 at the charity stripe.
New York also pressured WNBA Most Valuable Player A'ja Wilson, making her work for her 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Six of Wilson's points came in the final 3:46 with Las Vegas facing a double-digit deficit.
Jackie Young joined Wilson and Plum in double figures with 17 points. Alysha Clark added nine points off the bench, but no other Las Vegas scorer notched more than four points.
More must-reads:
- Angel Reese continues to be a rare bright spot for the Sky
- WNBA All-Star Game ratings paint a troubling picture
- The 'NBA all-time 50-point game leaders' quiz
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Angel Reese continues to be a rare bright spot for the Sky
The bad news for the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night is they were absolutely dominated by the Minnesota Lynx, 91-68, to drop to a disappointing 7-16. The one bright spot — as has been the case for most of the season — was star forward Angel Reese having another big game and making some WNBA history. Reese finished Tuesday's game with her 10th consecutive double-double, scoring 11 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in the loss. It is the second time that she has recorded 10 consecutive double-doubles, making her the first player in WNBA history to ever achieve such a feat. She has averaged a double-double (by a wide margin) per game throughout her young career. Reese has been a polarizing player in the eyes of fans and media, but there is no denying the numbers she consistently puts up. And while offensive production and efficiency were legitimate concerns for much of her rookie season, and even in the early part of this season, she has shown considerable improvement in that area over the past few weeks. Including Tuesday's game she has finished better than 50% from the field in nine of her past 13 games, including six games where she was better than 53%. She topped 50% just once in her first 12 games. If she can maintain that sort of offensive production, combined with her defense and work on the glass, she would become an even more impactful player on both ends of the floor. The bigger concern for the Sky, however, might be putting enough help around her to help the team take advantage of her production and skillset. So far, that has not happened in the first season-and-a-half of her career.
Could this young forward answer multiple questions for the Rangers?
Through much of his time with the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been too good to be a second-line center, yet not quite a top liner for a contender. Now aging out of his prime, his play has dropped off the past two seasons, only rebounding when moved to the wing next to midseason acquisition J.T. Miller. That presents a problem for New York. The Rangers are not deep down the middle. Moving Zibanejad back to center provides that depth, putting Vincent Trochek back in his appropriate 3C role. But does Zibanejad again suffer without Miller? It also leaves the Blueshirts thin on the right side. Zibanejad can’t play two positions at once and the Rangers cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. There is a solution, however: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Anaheim and New York already have strong front office ties, with a pair of trades in the past eight months. The cross-continental line should be open. McTavish is precisely the player archetype that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sought in this past year. The 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and plays with a grit that Drury adores. An old-fashioned power forward in the making, McTavish hunts bodies, making life miserable for defenders on the forecheck and finds pockets of space when off the puck, where he unloads a cannon of a shot. An all-situations player, McTavish digs in the corners and is developing nicely as an offensive driver. McTavish is a hard worker who shows leadership traits. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan loves to play with speed and relentless pressure, a mantra that suits McTavish down to the ground. For a second-line center, McTavish’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but 52 points (22 goals) in 76 games for a bad Ducks team is nothing to sneeze at. In New York, he would also presumably get to play with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Given the playmaking ability of those wingers and McTavish’s heavy shot, 30-plus goals could be on the cards. Bleacher Report has stated that the Ducks are unlikely to extend McTavish an offer sheet, instead willing to match whatever offer comes his way. Does that mean he is on the trade block? At the very least it means that Anaheim will likely be willing to listen to offers. That said, it would take an almighty package to pry the former No. 3 pick out of Orange County. The Ducks would rightly command a first-round pick — if not two — and a highly-rated prospect. New York has its own first-rounders in store, as well as a, likely, late first-rounder next year, with second-round picks each year except 2027. Would New York part with a first, a second and a pair of its top prospects? The Rangers are loaded with left wing prospects. Whilst Gabe Perrault is likely off the table, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard should be discussed, as should defenseman E.J. Emery. Would picks and a pair of prospects be enough for Anaheim, though? Here’s a thought experiment: a deal centered around Will Cuylle. As mentioned, the Rangers have a raft of left wingers coming through and Lafreniere is also a natural left winger. Would trading Cuylle for McTavish solve the Rangers' issues at the pivot, allowing Zibanejad to help fix the right-hand side and give the team room to develop more youngsters on the left? Could this solve three issues in one swoop? It would be a, potentially, seismic move, but it might just make sense for both teams, especially if the Ducks are not looking to keep McTavish around long-term. It would complete a remarkable offseason for Drury.
Pete Carroll Drops Key Updates on Raiders Stars Malcolm Koonce and Christian Wilkins
With training camp in full swing at Las Vegas Raiders HQ in Henderson, head coach Pete Carroll provided an important update regarding two of his key defensive linemen. As things heat up out in Sin City, the Silver and Black engine is revving up under a new regime spearheaded by Carroll’s arrival. As most fans are aware, Carroll brings with him a bevy of defensive knowledge—there’s a reason his Seattle Seahawks dominated the NFC West for years. It starts in the trenches and for the Raiders, there’ll be no exception. It’s for that exact reason that getting all of the defensive linemen healthy will be pivotal for the team’s success. We all know about what Maxx Crosby will bring this season but it’s his supporting cast that was questionable coming into training camp. Luckily, there is some good news and some not-so-good. Malcolm Koonce is back for the Raiders—but what about Christian Wilkins? Fans and teammates alike were surely disappointed when the news surrounding Koonce’s injury last year derailed what should’ve been a promising campaign. After recording eight sacks in 2023, Koonce was projected to be the next double-digit sack artist for Las Vegas. Regrettably, that was postponed a year. Now, under Carroll’s guidance, Koonce appears to be ready to pick up where he left off. “He should be ready to go. We’re going to look after him, make sure that we do it right and break him in, but he’s ready to go,” said Carroll, addressing the media on Tuesday. While that’s good news, the developments surrounding Wilkins aren’t exactly encouraging; however, it’s not the end of the world. After placing their prized defensive tackle on the PUP list, Carroll was dubious about any sort of return. “It’s still uncertain. We sort of have to wait it out,” Carroll stated. While we can’t have everything, the return of Koonce in excellent health alongside Crosby is certainly something to celebrate.
'He's Going To Go Win Somewhere Else': Analyst Predicts Sidney Crosby Trade
As the Pittsburgh Penguins brace for a fourth straight season without playoff hockey, speculation around Sidney Crosby’s future continues. On Friday’s episode of “The FAN Pregame” podcast, NHL analyst Jason Bukala joined host Justin Cuthbert to offer a sobering view of the franchise’s outlook and how it could influence the Canadian center's next move. In Bukala's eyes, the Penguins missed the opportunity to build effectively around their captain during the past few years by not acquiring younger players. “I would never have thought [a Crosby trade], even going back a couple years ago,” Bukala said. “I know they’ve been trying to retool and plug holes here and there, but what they did was they did it with a lot older, veteran-type players.” With Crosby still producing at an elite level—over 90 points in each of the past three seasons—he questioned how long the 37-year-old will remain patient even after signing a two-year extension before the start of last season. “Crosby is still an elite talent, and Pittsburgh is not going to be very good for a long time,” Bukala said. “I guess it's going to be a while (before they contend). “He is going to age out of that roster (and) go win somewhere else, is what I think. And I think that's one to keep an eye on.” While Crosby has long expressed loyalty to Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins, potentially staying in Pittsburgh at least until the Russian center retires, Bukala believes even that partnership might not last to the finish line. “Sentimentally, he’s going to want to be [in Pittsburgh] to the end of Malkin’s career, but I don’t know that that’s going to be a reality,” Bukala said. Malkin, who will turn 39 before the start of next season, is entering his final year under contract with the Penguins but has not yet announced his retirement date.
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