WNBA Playoffs: Sun, Aces look to stay alive in crucial Game 4s vs. Lynx, Liberty

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces will both be eliminated in a high-stakes back-to-back match on Sunday. After opening the semifinals with a win, Sun has dropped two in a row against the Minnesota Lynx, while the Aces responded to an 0-2 deficit with a blowout win against the New York Liberty to stay alive on Friday .

Now both the Sun and Aces face a 2-1 deficit – and must-wins – in Game 4.

First, the Aces will host the Liberty at Michelob ULTRA Center at 3:00 PM ET. The Aces would like to repeat everything that went right in Game 3, when they came away with a 95-81 win that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates. The keys to that? The Aces defense finally clicked and limited the head of the snake for the Liberty: Sabrina Ionescu. After two strong postseason performances against Las Vegas, she finished with just 4 points on 1-7 FG and 5 turnovers in Game 3.

On the Aces side, Jackie Young came alive and exploded for 24 points on 10-18 shooting, while Kelsey Plum added 20 points on 7-11 shooting. Continued strong guard play will be crucial for Las Vegas as they look to balance the score, as will the performance of three-time MVP A’ja Wilson, who finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds in Game 3.

New York will certainly adjust in Game 2, and the key will be getting Sabrina Ionescu against a much more aggressive and blitz-heavy Aces defense.

“I thought it was probably our most complete game of the season. It’s the game I’ve been waiting for and believed they had,” coach Becky Hammon said at the post-game conference.

“They didn’t give me daylight,” Ionescu told ESPN.

On the other side of the country, the Sun hosts the Lynx at 5:00 PM ET at Mohegan Sun. Connecticut 90-81 in Game 3, with Napheesa Collier leading the way with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

Alyssa Thomas blasted her team’s performance after the loss.

‘I think we have had to realize that we didn’t get here alone. We came here as a team, moved the ball and separated people,” Thomas said. ‘At the moment you want it, but we can’t cross the threshold without using each other. This was a poor representation of what Connecticut basketball is about.

When the sun falls, another winning season will end in semi-final elimination – last year it came at the hands of the Liberty. If the Aces lose, their attempt at the rare WNBA three-peat will fall short. If either team wins, they will even things up and their series will move on to a decisive Game 5. All of that will be covered on ESPN on Sunday.