3 takeaways: Aces fall short ‘in every area’ in Game 1 vs. Liberty

The Aces lost Game 1 of their WNBA semifinal playoff series against the New York Liberty 87-77 on Sunday at Barclays Center in New York, an effort that was best summarized by coach Becky Hammon.

“They just kicked our ass in every area of the game,” she said.

The only time the Aces weren’t trailing was when Kelsey Plum answered Liberty center Jonquel Jones’ deep shot with one of her own to tie the game 3-3 in the first two minutes.

Plum finished with a team-high 24 points for the Aces, but didn’t indulge in her individual performance.

“Respectfully, like, it’s a loss. That’s the only thing that I really see,” she said. “That’s the only statistic that matters, especially with this group.”

League MVP A’ja Wilson added 21 points and tied her season-low of six rebounds. Jackie Young contributed 17 points.

Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 34 points, 20 of which came in the first half. Sabrina Ionescu had 21.

Game 2 is at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in New York.

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

1. Outsized

After the dominant performance, Stewart replied to a reporter who noted that her wingspan is listed as 6 feet, 10¾ inches, on the Liberty’s roster even though she has said that her arms cover 7 feet.

“We’re gonna have to confirm,” Stewart said, smiling.

Hammon didn’t need the final numbers to note that New York’s size is a problem for the Aces.

“Their length bothered us,” Hammon said, adding that the Aces didn’t move the ball enough to take advantage of Wilson being double- and triple-teamed all game.

But Hammon chose to play a smaller lineup. Although 6-3 center Kiah Stokes started, she played 13 minutes, recording a rebound and a missed 3-pointer. Megan Gustafson, another 6-3 center, didn’t get any playing time. Neither did recently signed 6-4 center Queen Egbo.

Alysha Clark and Tiffany Hayes both played more than 20 minutes off the bench. Clark occasionally guarded Stewart and recorded nine points and five defensive rebounds, a notable contribution in a game in which the Aces were outrebounded 31-22. Hayes was the only other reserve to score, adding two points.

Starter Chelsea Gray was limited to four points and one assist.

The Aces struggled to guard New York without fouling, and the Liberty were 19-for-23 at the free-throw line.

2. Trash talk

The TV broadcast mentioned that Stewart didn’t appreciate Hammon making fun of her 3-of-17 shooting in last year’s title-clinching Game 4, a performance the coach briefly referenced onstage at the Aces’ victory parade.

Stewart was 63.2 percent (12-for-19) from the field Sunday, while the Aces shot 43.3 percent (29-for-67) from the floor and an even worse 28 percent (7-for-25) from the 3-point line.

Plum said that from her experience, trash talk doesn’t have to be all bad.

She was seen jawing with director and avid New York sports fan Spike Lee midway through the third quarter as he sat courtside wearing an Ionescu jersey.

“I can’t say exactly what was said, but I told him that he should talk louder,” Plum said. “But it was all well and fun, and it’s really cool that he’s here. … It says a lot that he’s in the building and that he respects the game. So yeah, I was just having fun.”

3. DPOY disappointment

In what might become bulletin board material for another fan base, Hammon addressed the WNBA’s announcement that Lynx forward Napheesa Collier won Defensive Player of the Year over Wilson, who led the league in blocks per game and set the WNBA record for rebounds in a season.

“If you have to go down a rabbit hole of analytics to put somebody in the same conversation, I think you already have the answer to your question,” Hammon said pregame, reiterating previous comments she made in reaction to an ESPN article predicting that Collier would claim the honor.

Every Aces player arrived to the game wearing a black A’ja Wilson jersey, along with pants designed by Hayes’ fashion line, Seyah Renara.

“I think it’s their little protest for A’ja not getting DPOY, and it’s probably their support for (Hayes) to get Sixth Player (of the Year),” Hammon said.

Contact Callie Fin at clawsonfreeman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.