The reigning champions, the Las Vegas Stars, are on the brink of elimination after suffering a narrow 88-84 defeat to the New York Fusion in Game 2 at the iconic Brooklyn Arena on Tuesday. No team in the women’s professional basketball league has ever overcome an 0-2 deficit to win a best-of-five series, and no defending champion has faced such a daunting task. The series marks a rematch of last year’s championship finals, which the Stars won convincingly.
Since their thrilling 70-69 victory in Brooklyn last season, the Stars have struggled against the Fusion, losing five consecutive games. This skid ties the franchise record for most consecutive losses against a single opponent. On the other hand, the Fusion’s five-game winning streak against the Stars sets a new franchise record for most consecutive wins against an opponent in a single season.
The top-seeded Fusion, seeking their first-ever championship title, have reached the finals five times in their history. Historically, teams leading 2-0 in a best-of-five series have a perfect 18-0 record in the playoffs.
The semifinal series resumes on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET) as the action shifts to Las Vegas and Connecticut. A closer look at the Fusion’s Game 2 victory reveals a dominant performance from their star player, who led the team with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Her impact in the fourth quarter was particularly impressive, scoring or assisting on 16 of the Fusion’s 19 points.
The Fusion’s coach praised her team’s second-quarter performance, where they outscored the Stars 24-13. The strategy of utilizing their two-time MVP as a facilitator paid off, resulting in 8 assists. The Fusion’s defense also shone, forcing 8 turnovers and limiting the Stars to just 5 field goals in the quarter.
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