3 things Las Vegas Aces must do to prevent Breanna Stewart from recording another huge offensive game

The Las Vegas Aces know that they will need to contain New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart if they hope to have any chance of returning to the WNBA Finals for a third straight year. The Aces are aiming for a three-peat this year, but another big performance from the Liberty forward could see their season cut short in the semifinals.

Stewart was phenomenal in Game 1, leading her team to a 87-77 victory at Barclays Center. She finished with 34 points and shot an impressive 12 of 19 from the field. Stewart converted eight of her first 10 shots and was 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. The six-time All-WNBA forward also chipped in with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Stewart averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over the regular season.

Aces coach Becky Hammon referred to Game 2 of the best-of-five series on Tuesday as "do or die" for her team. The veteran coach will be looking to make adjustments as she looks for ways to slow down the two-time league MVP.

3 things Las Vegas Aces must do to prevent Breanna Stewart from recording another huge offensive game

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart dribbles the ball against the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center. Photo Credit: Imagn

#1. Utilize A'ja Wilson

Different players guarded Breanna Stewart on Sunday night, with Kiah Stokes, Chelsea Gray, Alysha Clark and A'ja Wilson all attempting the defend the All-Star forward. Perhaps the best move would be to utilize A'ja Wilson exclusively on Stewart.

Wilson is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and has been named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team on three occasions. The 6-foot-4 center is arguably the best defender in the league, and Hammon may want her most talented star shadowing Stewart to make things a little more difficult for her.

#2. Keep the ball out of Ionescu's hands

While Breanna Stewart led the Liberty in points this season, Sabrina Ionescu led the roster in assists. Stewart's connection with Ionescu on the court has been a big reason for her success over the last two seasons.

Ionescu is a three-time All-Star and one of the game's elite point guards. She has tremendous vision, great passing ability and knows how to get her teammates involved. The Liberty offense runs through Ionescu and one way to contain Stewart may be to keep the ball out of Ionescu's hands.

#3. Prevent the 3s

Stewart was 2-for-4 from behind the arc in Sunday's game with some vital daggers at critical stages of the game. The 6-4 forward is not only an inside player, she is also a highly capable 3-point shooter.

During the season, Stewart drilled 46 total 3s. Although her 29.5% 3-point percentage was not great, she shot 37.9% and 35.5% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. In 2018, she shot a remarkable 41.5% from 3 in 34 games.

If the Aces want to limit Stewart's impact on the game, one way to do it would be to tighten up on defense and prevent any open 3s.