Aces, Liberty Face Historic 0-2 WNBA Semifinals Hole — SkimNews
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- Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries each took 2-0 leads over the Liberty and Aces respectively in their WNBA semifinal series, with both set to resume Friday in Las Vegas and Brooklyn.
- No WNBA team has ever come back from a 0-2 series deficit — teams leading 2-0 are 20-0 in league history, a record shaped by the fact that best-of-five semifinals weren't introduced until 2016.
- Liberty committed 19 turnovers in Game 1 and 16 in Game 2, part of a series in which the Dream have forced 38 turnovers total (converted into 60 points) and hold a 29-8 fastbreak-points edge.
- Aces are dealing with a banged-up roster — NaLyssa Smith is out for the season, Dana Evans and Stephanie Talbot are in questionable health, and Jewell Loyd injured her leg in Game 1 and is questionable for Game 3.
- A'ja Wilson just won her fifth MVP; if Loyd returns and Jackie Young recovers from her 27.7% series shooting (vs. 48.8% in the regular season), the Aces could win three straight after sweeping the Valkyries in the regular season.
- The Dream have won nine straight games and 13 of their last 14, with Allisha Gray questionable for Game 3 due to a hand injury.
Why it matters: The Liberty and Aces must each win three consecutive games against opponents playing like the clearly better team — the Dream's 60 points off turnovers and the Valkyries' defense holding the Aces to 38.7% shooting. The Aces' mounting injuries (Smith out, Loyd and two others questionable) and the Liberty's 35 turnovers across two games compound the uphill task, though both still employ championship cores led by Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson.
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