The Aces held the New York Liberty to 31 percent shooting on 3-pointers in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, but coach Becky Hammon said it needs to get better.
Basketball
There’s no shortage of halftime entertainment options in Las Vegas and the Aces have hosted several notable performers like Coolio, Rick Ross and Lil Jon.
The Aces are the WNBA’s No. 1 seed and will start the playoffs Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena, where the Aces beat the Mercury in Sunday’s regular-season finale.
Aces All-Star Kelsey Plum became the first player in franchise history to score 40 points in a game Sunday, but advanced stats show why it was a special performance.
Aces forward Candace Parker: “The way the NBA separated itself from the NFL and MLB is it’s been an employee, players-first league. I’d like to see that in the WNBA.”
The Aces selected Alabama standout Brittany Davis with the final selection of the 2023 WNBA draft.
Coach Kevin Kruger’s second season was a roller-coaster ride. Integrating eight new scholarship players and an entirely new coaching staff, the Rebels struggled in Mountain West play.
The Rebels have won both of their games against ranked opponents this season, and they have a shot at another upset when they play the No. 25 Aztecs on Saturday.
Former West Virginia guard Jordan McCabe is playing some of his best basketball since joining UNLV, including a 12-point performance against New Mexico Saturday.
UNLV coach Kevin Kruger and the legendary Jerry Tarkanian have something in common. In the past 32 years, they are the only two coaches who have led the Rebels to a 10-0 start to a season.
A’ja Wilson still remembers the green and yellow confetti raining down on her after the Aces lost to the Seattle Storm in the 2020 WNBA Finals. “It was disgusting,” she said.
The 2022 WNBA Finals between the Aces and Connecticut Sun features the two most recent MVPs — Jonquel Jones and A’ja Wilson — among its interesting storylines.
UNLV and coach Lindy La Rocque revealed the Lady Rebels non-conference schedule including a game against Oklahoma State.
An injured Dearica Hamby will be missing when the top seeds in the WNBA meet Thursday as the Aces welcome the Chicago Sky to Michelob Ultra Arena.
Aces guard Kelsey Plum, making her first All-Star Game appearance, scored 30 points to help teammate A’ja Wilson’s Team Wilson defeat Team Stewart on Sunday.