The Las Vegas Aces’ quest for a historic three-peat has come to an end. The New York Liberty eliminated the Aces on Sunday, winning their semifinal series 3-1 and advancing to the WNBA Finals. The Liberty will have home-court advantage in the championship series, which begins Thursday, and will face the winner of Tuesday’s decisive Game 5 between the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun.
The Aces’ elimination marks the end of an era of dominance, as they had won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. Coach Becky Hammon acknowledged that this season was the toughest for her team, citing the difficulty of staying hungry after consecutive championships. The Aces struggled with injuries and inconsistency throughout the season, ultimately finishing as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
Despite having the league’s best player in A’ja Wilson, who averaged a WNBA-record 26.9 points per game and won her third MVP award, the Aces were unable to overcome their shortcomings. Hammon praised her team’s core four – Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young – but noted that their individual greatness was intertwined with each other’s success.
The Liberty, on the other hand, were a bad matchup for the Aces. With the addition of Leonie Fiebich, the Liberty had the length and defensive prowess to contain the Aces’ high-powered offense. Fiebich was a difference-maker on defense, and the Aces struggled to score against her and the Liberty’s stingy defense.
Looking ahead to next season, the Aces will need to re-sign Plum and address their defensive inconsistencies if they hope to return to championship form. With Wilson, Gray, and Young still in their prime, the Aces have the talent to make another deep playoff run. But they’ll need to find a way to recapture the edge and hunger that drove them to back-to-back titles.
In the other semifinal series, the Connecticut Sun forced a decisive Game 5 against the Minnesota Lynx with a 10-point win on Sunday. The Sun’s guards, led by Ty Harris and DiJonai Carrington, played well, and the team’s defense made key adjustments at halftime to limit the Lynx’s offense. The winner of Tuesday’s Game 5 will face the Liberty in the WNBA Finals.
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