The Aces and New York Liberty are about to face off in one of the most anticipated WNBA Finals of all time. Here’s how they stack up against each other.
Basketball
Coming off a long layoff, the top-seeded Aces and No. 2 New York Liberty will play Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at noon Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena.
Alaina Coates has played on seven teams across five seasons despite being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft. She is starting to feel at home with the Aces.
The Aces, coming off their worst loss of the season, have a chance to redeem themselves Tuesday against the Dallas Wings, one of three teams to defeat them.
The Aces suffered their second defeat of the season Friday, falling to the Dallas Wings in Texas two days after beating them at Michelob Ultra Arena.
With a win over the Connecticut Sun, the Aces would equal the franchise-record winning streak of 12, set by the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2012.
Candace Parker’s connections to the Aces, the coaching staff and the players, run deep.
Aces star A’ja Wilson edged Seattle Storm standout Breanna Stewart to win the MVP award for the second time in three years. The Aces’ Kelsey Plum finished third in the voting.
WNBA legend Sue Bird played her final regular-season home game in Seattle on Sunday, but the Aces defeated the Storm before a sellout crowd of 18,100.
Guard Kelsey Plum scored 20 points in the Aces’ 106-88 season-opening win over the Phoenix Mercury on Friday. “We want the ball in her hands,” coach Becky Hammon said.
A’ja Wilson, the Aces’ All-Star center and 2020 WNBA MVP, is entering the prime of her career at age 25 and continues to develop on and off the court.
Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby were all named Monday to Team USA ahead of the World Cup Qualifying Tournament.