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The Las Vegas Aces’ playoff opener nearly ended in disaster on Sunday against the Seattle Storm. Las Vegas shot 2-for-18 in the first 10 minutes but trailed just 18-9. A’ja Wilson, the newly-minted MVP, had four points on 1-for-8 shooting in the first half but the Aces were only behind 42-38 by halftime.
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Fans reacted to the defending champs’ struggles before emphatically going for a win:
“HEART ATTACK ALREADY??? Thanks ladies”
One fan wondered about this:
“That was nerve-racking. Why do we start slowly? A huge win but going forward in this series, we need to fix it. KP having 2 points in 27 minutes is absurd. Massive shout-out to Hayes and Gray who kept us in the game before A’ja started to get momentum.”
@LjTurner9 gave credit where credit was due:
“That 4th quarter defense tho”
Another fan had a three-word response to Las Vegas’ victory:
“Here we go again”
The Las Vegas Aces won the regular season series against the Seattle Storm 3-1 but the visitors were unfazed. They executed their game plan well, particularly on defense.
A’ja Wilson may have played the worst half of her career and her team kept within striking distance of the Storm. Tiffany Hayes’ game was tough for Seattle to deal with.
Hayes’ second-quarter explosion was the boost Las Vegas needed to stay in the game. The backup guard dropped 12 of her 20 points in the period to keep Seattle from leaving the defending champs in the dust.
The second half was a different story as Wilson and Co.'s shots finally started falling and their defensive intensity went up. They beat the Seattle Storm 40-25 in the last two frames to emerge with a 78-67 win.
The Aces defense played a big role in beating the Storm
The Las Vegas Aces finished last year with the best defensive rating in the WNBA. This year, they slipped to fifth (99.6 DRTG), a significantly lower mark than the fourth-placed Seattle Storm’s 96.4 DRTG. Most Las Vegas fans hoped the defense would pick up in the playoffs.
In the first three quarters, Becky Hammons’ defense didn’t look like it had improved. Hammons’ players had trouble guarding Skylar Diggins-Smith’s inside-out strategy. Nneka Ogwumike had several open shots, particularly in the first half.
The Aces defense finally bared its teeth in the fourth quarter, limiting the Storm to just two points. Only Diggins-Smith’s two free throws prevented Las Vegas from shutout in the final period.
Seattle will not just lay down and surrender in Game 2 on Tuesday. To advance to the semifinals, Las Vegas’ defense will have to step up like it did in the fourth quarter of Game 1.
