The Las Vegas Aces are headed to the WNBA Playoff semifinals after routing the Phoenix Mercury in Video game 2 of their to start with round sequence, 117-80, to protected a 2- sequence earn.
Whilst the initial match was aggressive for the the vast majority ahead of Vegas pulled absent late, it took much much less time for the Aces to assert their dominance in Sport 2. The shorthanded Mercury, who shed Shey Peddy in Game 1 on major of the absences of Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith, hung tough for a quarter in Activity 2 but simply didn’t have the firepower to preserve up with a sensational offensive general performance from the Aces.
Las Vegas bombed absent from 3 early and often, going an outrageous 23-of-36 (63.9 %) from distance in the sport, location a WNBA history for designed threes in a playoff match. The Aces have been led by Chelsea Gray’s 7-of-8 work from 3-place array — Kelsey Plum, Jackie Younger, Kierstan Bell, and Riquna Williams all built at minimum 3 3-ideas in the match as well — on her way to a game-high 27 factors (together with 8 helps). Grey set on a clinic in the closeout activity, exhibiting off the full compliments of her game on Saturday night time, with vicious handles, absurd passes, and a lot of buckets from deep.
Signing up for Grey in having a 20-additionally position night time was Plum, who was 6-of-10 from the floor on her way to an effective 22-stage effort and hard work, splashing in four threes of her have.
A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young have been furthermore lethal in their effectiveness, as Youthful was a best 3-for-3 from deep as she went for 15 points, even though Wilson did a little bit of all the things with 17 details (on 7-of-9 taking pictures), 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.
It was the Aces at their absolute ideal, bombing away from 3, attacking the paint, and actively playing stifling protection. For Phoenix, Diamond DeShields (21 points) and Kaela Davis (23 details) did their greatest to continue to keep them in touch, but they simply just lacked the depth and scoring ability up and down the roster to match the Aces in a activity exactly where seemingly everybody on the Vegas roster experienced their A-activity. There aren’t quite a few teams (if any) that could continue to keep up with Vegas on a night like this, and it’s a reminder of why the Aces are the favorites to gain it all, due to the fact like A’ja Wilson says, when they get out of their own way and allow it rip, they are terrifying as they showed in this one particular.
The Aces now await the winner of the Storm-Mystics collection that saw Seattle consider a 1- guide in thrilling vogue on Thursday night time, with either of these groups creating a sensational semifinal matchup.
