Back-to-back defending champs Las Vegas will attempt to stave off a sweep in tonight's 2024 WNBA semifinals, as twin losses in New York have the Aces scrambling for a vital Game 3 win at home.
The No. 4-seed Aces, who've failed to register a win against top-seeded New York in 2024, will face a Liberty team who are 16-4 on the road this season. Las Vegas, on the other hand, have lost seven games at home and six away.
Las Vegas will be further shorthanded in Game 3 after center Kiah Stokes was ruled out with a concussion late Thursday evening.
Acknowledging that her team faces "an uphill battle," Aces head coach Becky Hammon told reporters after their Game 2 loss that they "fully intend on pushing to five games."
Should the Aces bounce back to take the best-of-five series, Las Vegas will become the first team to ever reach the WNBA Finals after falling to 0-2 in the semis.
Connecticut brings it home
Sitting at an even 1-1 split, the No. 2-seed Lynx and No. 3-seed Sun will take their highly competitive WNBA semifinal series to Connecticut tonight, where the pressure's on for Minnesota to grab a game on the road.
The Lynx must win at least one game on the Sun's home court to extend the series to five — or possibly secure a four-game victory.
The Sun are just as good at home as they are on the road this year, going 14-6 in both scenarios this season. The Lynx are also 14-6 on the road, but failed to protect home court in last Sunday's semifinals Game 1.
How to watch Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals tonight
Game 3 between the Sun and the Lynx tips off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2. The Aces and the Liberty follow at 9:30 PM ET, also airing on ESPN2.
Two games into the best-of-five 2024 WNBA semifinals, and the back-to-back defending champion Aces are staring down elimination while the Lynx evened the score last night.
With Friday's Game 3 offering a venue change, Las Vegas will need every ounce of their home-court advantage to continue their playoff run, while Minnesota's aim will be to silence the Connecticut crowd.
Aces on the brink of elimination after Game 2 loss
Tuesday's second-straight loss, an 88-84 defeat by the No. 1 seed Liberty in Brooklyn, has No. 4 seed Las Vegas on the brink of playoff elimination. The Aces are now the first reigning champions to ever fall to a 0-2 deficit in a WNBA playoff series.
Las Vegas has yet to conquer the Liberty this season, falling a franchise record-tying five straight times to same opponent, all after defeating New York in the 2023 WNBA Finals.
New York's Sabrina Ionescu and Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson led their teams in scoring with 24 points each, while Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot provided a crucial spark off the bench.
Should Las Vegas turn things around when the series moves back to Nevada on Friday, they'd become the first team to ever bounce back from 0-2 to reach the WNBA Finals.
Aces guard Chelsea Gray put a positive spin on the challenge, saying "I love being in the history books, so might as well try to start there. That's going to be our mentality."
Lynx level up with Game 2 semifinal win in Minnesota
No. 2 seed Minnesota evened their semifinal score with No. 3 seed Connecticut on Tuesday, earning a 77-70 win in Minneapolis to send the series back East at one victory apiece.
Courtney Williams led the Lynx in scoring with 17 points, while a physical Minnesota defense held the Sun to less than 40% shooting from the field.
In the loss, Sun forward DeWanna Bonner became the third all-time leading scorer in WNBA postseason history. She also inked her name into the league record books as the player with the most appearances in playoff history at 83 games and counting.
Friday kicks off a guaranteed two-game run in Connecticut, with the home side on a mission to reach the Finals for the first time since 2022.
How to watch Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals
Las Vegas and Minnesota will look to pick up critical wins in Friday's Game 3, with the Aces facing a must-win scenario in front of what promises to be a rocking home crowd.
The Lynx will travel to Connecticut for a 7:30 PM ET tip off on Friday, October 4th, followed by a Liberty vs. Aces showdown in Las Vegas at 9:30 PM ET. Both games are scheduled to air on ESPN2.
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins takes a look at the first games of the 2024 WNBA semifinals, discussion whether or not Aces and Lynx fans can find the silver lining in their teams' respective shortcomings heading into Game 2.
Then, she shouts out the big winners and losers of this weekend's NWSL's slate, including this season's historic Golden Boot race and the competition to clinch one of the final playoff spots.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
In today's episode, our hosts cover the 2024 WNBA semifinals, including the New York Liberty's Game 1 victory over the Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey's impressive playoff run.
"There is a player, Marina Mabrey... How she got out of Chicago, I will never know, mid-season," Leslie says on the episode. "But that is a game-changer."
Also on today's docket? Kelley's NWSL end-of-season table predictions and much more.
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
The 2024 WNBA semifinals tipped off their best-of-five series on Sunday, with the Liberty serving up a redemptive win and the Sun claiming the first upset of the entire postseason.
First, top-seeded New York defeated Las Vegas 87-77 before a raucous home crowd, putting the two-time defending champs on the defensive going into the second game on Tuesday.
On a mission to avenge their 2023 WNBA Finals loss to the Aces, 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart dropped 34 points in the Liberty win, passing legend Lisa Leslie to claim the longest streak of double-digit scoring performances in WNBA postseason history.
New York's Sabrina Ionescu finished just behind Stewart on the stat sheet with 21 points, while center Jonquel Jones put up a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Aces guard Kelsey Plum put up 24 points in the loss, after No. 4-seed Las Vegas entered the semis as a lower seed for the first time since 2019.
"You're trying to dig out of a hole the whole time," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said about the loss. "It's not the way you want to start, especially on the road."
The Sun upset the Lynx in Minnesota
A few hours later, No. 3-seed Connecticut earned the 2024 WNBA postseason's first upset, claiming a 73-70 Game 1 road win over No. 2-seed Minnesota.
Sun guard Marina Mabrey led all scorers with 20 points, sinking six three-pointers to give the visitors a distinct edge from behind the arc. Meanwhile, teammate Alyssa Thomas neared a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in the win.
That said, it was the Sun's defense that claimed the tight win in a game that saw 13 lead changes and eight ties. Connecticut held the Lynx's top scorer, 2024 DPOY Napheesa Collier, to just 19 points, ultimately stifling Collier's last-second game-tying effort to clinch the win. Entering Sunday, Collier was on a record-setting run as the first-ever WNBA player to drop at least 35 points in consecutive playoff games.
All eyes now turn to Tuesday, when the four semifinalists face off again. New York and Connecticut certainly have a leg up, though: WNBA teams that take Game 1 in a best-of-five series are 77% more likely to win the series.
After a record-breaking first round, the 2024 WNBA semifinals are set, with all top four seeds sweeping their lower-ranked opponents to launch their best-of-five semifinal campaigns on Sunday.
Top-seeded New York will take on two-time defending champs Las Vegas in a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals — a series the No. 4-seed Aces won in four games last year. Afterwards, the No. 2-seed Minnesota Lynx and No. 3-seed Connecticut Sun will face off.
In what promises to be one of the most competitive semis in recent memory, the second playoff round will feature many of the league's top performers, including a drove of individual award winners and contenders.
The Aces's newly minted three-time MVP A'ja Wilson will meet 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart on the Liberty's Brooklyn, NY, home court. Meanwhile in Minnesota, 2024 DPOY Napheesa Collier's Lynx will host 2024 MIP DiJonai Carrington's Sun.
How to watch the 2024 WNBA playoffs semifinal round
Both second-round series will tip off on Sunday, with the Aces kicking things off against Liberty at 3 PM ET. Afterwards, the Sun will face the Lynx at 8:30 PM ET. All the action will air live across ESPN networks.
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie! In today's episode, our hosts cover the WNBA playoffs, three-time MVP A'ja Wilson, the Defensive Player of the Year debate, Kelley's somewhat sudden retirement, and the NWSL playoff race.
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
The higher seeds handled business on Tuesday, as twin first-round sweeps saw the Liberty and Aces emerge 2-0 from the best-of-three series to advance to the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs.
Fueled by Sabrina Ionescu's 36 points, which tied New York's single-game playoff scoring record, the Liberty came from behind to defeat the Atlanta Dream 91-82 before the Aces held off the Storm 83-76.
The wins set up an electric second-round matchup between 2023 championship foes New York and Las Vegas.
Last year, the back-to-back defending champion Aces needed just four Finals games to beat New York for the title. To take aim at the elusive three-peat, No. 4-seed Las Vegas will have to advance past the top-seeded Liberty in the 2024 semifinals, which will tip off on Sunday, September 29th.
Despite four Finals appearances, the Liberty is the only remaining original WNBA franchise without a championship.
Could tonight's WNBA playoff game be Diana Taurasi's last?
Wednesday night's WNBA playoffs could see the end of legend Diana Taurasi's professional career, as her No. 7-seed Phoenix Mercury attempts to avoid elimination against No. 2-seed Minnesota.
Now in her 20th season, 42-year-old Taurasi — an 11-time All-Star, three-time WNBA champion, former league and Finals MVP, and the WNBA's all-time leading scorer — has hinted that this year might be her last.
Caitlin Clark and the No. 6-seed Fever will also be playing for survival tonight after Sunday's blowout loss to No. 3-seed Connecticut. An Indiana win would send the best-of-three series to Indianapolis, known for their rocking crowds.
How to watch round one of the WNBA playoffs tonight
The Fever will tip off against the Sun at 7:30 PM ET tonight. Immediately following, the Mercury will take on the Lynx at 9:30 PM ET. Both games will air live on ESPN.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson became just the second player in WNBA history to be unanimously crowned MVP on Sunday, claiming the 2024 title shortly before the league playoffs began.
In a record-breaking season league-wide, Wilson's 451 rebounds set the WNBA's new single-season rebound mark. She also inked herself in the history books as the first WNBA athlete to post 1,000+ points in a season.
Stat sheet aside, it's her commitment to her team that Aces head coach Becky Hammon says sets Wilson apart.
"We always talk about, 'Make your teammate great, and then in the process you become the greatest,'" Hammon explained.
"A'ja is...the greatest, because she's so authentically committed to that: pulling greatness out of other people. She's amazing. She's the best player in the world, and she's one of the best people in the world."
The 28-year-old now joins retired WNBA legends Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson as the only players to ever earn three career MVP awards. She previously won in 2020 and 2022.
Lynx forward Napheesa Collier finished second in 2024 MVP voting, followed by 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart, Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark, and Connecticut Sun vet Alyssa Thomas.
Top seeds hold court in first WNBA postseason games
In Sunday's postseason tip-off, all four top-seeded WNBA teams managed to avoid upsets. First, in the league-leading Liberty's 83-69 win over No. 8-seed Atlanta, New York guard Courtney Vandersloot made postseason history by notching her 365th career playoff assist to break Sue Bird's all-time playoff record.
Making postseason history of her own, Connecticut's Marina Mabrey scored a playoff-record 27 points off the bench to help the No. 3-seed Sun top the No. 6-seed Fever 93-69.
The aforementioned Collier — this season's MVP runner-up — also impressed by putting up 38 points for the No. 2-seed Lynx in Minnesota's 102-95 victory over No. 7-seed Phoenix.
In arguably Sunday's most dramatic ending, No. 5-seed Seattle went cold against reigning champs Las Vegas in the fourth quarter. After leading the No. 4-seed Aces by as many as 12 points, the Storm failed to score a single last-quarter field goal, ultimately handing Las Vegas the 78-67 win.
The second bouts in the WNBA's best-of-three first round will take the court on Tuesday and Wednesday, with if-necessary third games slated for Thursday and Friday.
Atlanta clinched the eighth and final 2024 WNBA playoff spot on Thursday by handing league-leaders New York a 78-67 home loss on the last night of regular-season play.
In the second of three simultaneous battles for playoff contention, a WNBA-record 20,711 fans showed up in DC to watch the Mystics narrowly defeat Indiana 92-91.
Unfortunately, Washington's season turn-around was too little, too late. The postseason help they needed from Chicago fell through with the Sky's 87-54 blowout loss to Connecticut.
Tina Charles claims two WNBA career records
As if a postseason ticket wasn't enough, Dream center Tina Charles also earned two league records in the win.
Just one month after becoming the WNBA's second all-time leading scorer, Charles surpassed Lynx legend Sylvia Fowles's 4,006 rebounds in Thursday's first quarter to ink herself as the league's all-time rebounds leader. She now has 4,014 career boards and counting.
After putting up 10 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday's win, Charles was also crowned the WNBA's career double-double leader. That 194th double-double lifted Charles just above Fowles on the stat sheet.
Reaching those milestones in New York is especially appropriate for Charles, who grew up in Queens and later played six seasons for the Liberty.
"It's special... [and] befitting that she got to break [those] record[s] here in front of friends and family," Dream coach Tanisha Wright noted.
How to watch the 2024 WNBA playoffs
The WNBA postseason tips off on Sunday, when the entire slate of first-round matchups will start their best-of-three series:
- No. 1 New York Liberty hosts No. 8 Atlanta (1 PM ET, ESPN).
- No. 2 Minnesota hosts No. 7 Phoenix (5 PM, ESPN).
- No. 3 Connecticut hosts No. 6 Indiana (3 PM, ABC).
- No. 4 Las Vegas hosts No. 5 Seattle (10 PM, ESPN).
Each series will follow a home-home-away structure. That means higher seeds could sweep at home, avoiding the risk of a decider away. Even so, lower seeds need just one road win for a shot at a major upset.