MVP in 2023, Breanna Stewart lost her trophy despite Liberty's first place in the regular season, but the Olympic champion has much bigger plans: winning the title. Last season, her Liberty failed in the final against the Aces, and Breanna Stewart is more than vengeful because she believes that she did not play at her true level, especially in Game 4 (3/17 shooting…) .
“I think I learned from it”she assures after the victory in Game 1 against the Aces. “I had – unfortunately – a lot of time to think about it and see where I could improve. And how to better manage things collectively. But I don’t forget who I am and what I can do.”
A priori, she actually learned her lesson well with a demonstration of strength in the first round: 34 points on 12 of 19 shots, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for a 10-point victory (87-77). This is her 6th playoff game with 30 points or more, and only Diana Taurasi has done better.
A job to finish
“She had far too many advantageous duels” regrets Becky Hammonthe Las Vegas coach, after Game 1. “We switched on her and Jonquel Jones in the first half, and we weren't supposed to. They destroyed us, and the same thing for their interiors.”
Alongside Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones signs a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) while also taking advantage of the “mismatches” generated and Sabrina Ionescu adds 21 points.
Result: this is the 4th victory in four matches for the Liberty this season against the Aces. Overmotivated, the Liberty players can also create good duels, both on the backcourt and inside, but we must obviously not “underestimate the heart” of the reigning double NBA champions. “The job is not finished…” warns Sabrina Ionescu. “We are going to play our best basketball because we still have a lot in us. »
In WNBA history, the team that won the first round has qualified almost eight times out of ten (77%).
