After four sweeps in the first round, it's time for the WNBA semi-finals. On the one hand, the New York Liberty facing the Las Vegas Aces. On the other, the Minnesota Lynx facing the Connecticut Sun.
Duels which are played in the best of five matches, and it is therefore the first team to win three matches in the series which qualifies for the final. Game 1 and 2 are played in the room of the highest ranked team in the regular season, while Game 3 is played in the room of the lowest ranked team. Which is also the case for Game 4, if necessary, before a potential return to the room of the highest ranked team in Game 5.
New York Liberty (1) – Las Vegas Aces (4)
This is the great revenge of last season's Finals, which saw the Aces triumph (3-1). But the two-time defending champions from Las Vegas know that this version of New York has a lot more weapons to hurt them. The proof? The Liberty remains on three victories in the regular season this season…
“They have been the best team all season”recalls Becky Hammon, Las Vegas coach. “They play like an angry team, with great motivation. We have done the same recently and we have regained our level. I don't think we're the same team that New York saw this season. »
With their MVP, A’ja Wilsonand their two consecutive titles, the Aces are obviously not starting out as losers, but their delicate season has placed them in a complex situation.
Without home advantage, they will have to hold the Breanna Stewart – Jonquel Jones pair inside, while A'ja Wilson will not be able to defend on both at the same time. They will also have to manage the duo Sabrina Ionescu – Leonie Fiebich on the outside, while Las Vegas alternated between the average and the worrying in the 3-point defense.
“It’s a much better team than last season. They are more powerful, shoot better »believes Kelsey Plum. “We have to focus on ourselves. Sometimes we are our own best enemy.”
Above all, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young will have to hold their place in support of their MVP, both in defense and in attack, in order to allow Las Vegas to believe in the hat-trick. But facing a Liberty team which seems better armed than ever, and which is also inevitably vengeful, it promises to be extremely delicate.
Minnesota Lynx (2) – Connecticut Sun (3)
She may be “modest”, but Napheesa Collier is not here to laugh. In the first round, the new star of the Lynx did not make any detail against the Mercury, crushing everything in his path…
The Connecticut Sun's defense, notably including Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, is of a completely different caliber, however, and should therefore pose many more problems for Minnesota. Enough to derail the lovely collective game put in place by Cheryl Reeve, with the best rate of assists (76.4%) of the league this season?
This will undoubtedly be one of the challenges of this semi-final, as will the ability of both teams to limit the skill to 3-points. This season, the Lynx and the Sun were the two best teams to reduce the outside success of their opponents, with respectively 30.1% and 31.3% allowed behind the 3-point line. In the first round, the Sun perfectly limited Caitlin Clark and her teammates in the field.
“This is going to be a war” also warned Napheesa Collier. “It’s a very good defensive team, but we play our best basketball at the best time.”
As the winger notes, the dynamic is perhaps in fact the X factor of this series, between a Connecticut Sun which had started the season very, very strong, with nine consecutive victories, but which seriously slowed down the pace after the Olympics break (10 wins – 6 losses). While the Minnesota Lynx were for their part the best team following the cut, with 13 victories in their last 15 matches, including a defeat in a final meeting without sporting issues, which Cheryl Reeve used to rest her stars.
CALENDAR AND BROADCAST
Sunday September 29:
New York – Las Vegas (9 p.m. French time) on beIN Sports Max 6
Minnesota – Connecticut (2:30 a.m., Sunday night to Monday)
Tuesday October 1:
New York – Las Vegas (time to be determined)
Minnesota – Connecticut (schedule to be determined)
Friday October 4:
Connecticut – Minnesota (1:30 a.m., Friday night to Saturday)
Las Vegas – New York (03:30)
Sunday October 6:
Connecticut – Minnesota (schedule to be determined)*
Las Vegas – New York (time to be determined)*
Tuesday October 8:
New York – Las Vegas (time to be determined)*
Minnesota – Connecticut (schedule to be determined)*
*If necessary
