How the Las Vegas Aces Guards Came to Life to Avoid Elimination
LAS VEGAS — Becky Hammon has said all season that she’s been waiting for the game when all her Las Vegas guards were clicking on all cylinders.
In 2023, the three-headed monster of Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum was an unstoppable unit most nights, culminating in a WNBA Finals series in which the perimeter trio convincingly defeated their New York Liberty counterparts even without Gray in the closeout— victory.
Fast forward a season and Las Vegas is mixing and matching. Despite the addition of Tiffany Hayes to an already talented guard group, the Aces have been fortunate to have two of their quartet hit the ground running in any given game. When Young scores well, it often portends a bad night for Plum, as was the case in Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals against the Liberty, when she scored 17 points and 6 points, respectively. Plum was on her A-game in the series opener with 24 points, but Gray limped to four points and one assist in the loss.
“We had two in one night, good nights,” Hammon said. “A’ja (Wilson has) been ridiculous, is ridiculous, she will continue to be ridiculous. But then it’s all these other little bits.
On Friday, Hammon finally got her long-awaited hand, with four Aces delivering top performances. Five players scored double figures in Friday night’s 95-81 Aces victory to avoid elimination and ensure Sunday’s Game 4 kept their quest for the three-peat championship alive.
Aces NOT done yet♠️
After being eliminated for the first time since 2021, the Las Vegas Aces force a Game 4 against the Liberty in the semifinals! Jackie Young led the charge with 24 points 🔥
Final score: 95-81#WelcometotheW | #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/fDGNmr66M1
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 5, 2024
“Everything was right for everyone,” Hammon said. “I thought it was probably our most complete game of the season. It is the game I have been waiting for and believe in.”
The effort for the Las Vegas guard group started with the defense. Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu was the best perimeter player in the series, slicing up the Aces’ pick-and-roll coverage and scoring at will from all levels in addition to setting up her teammates for open shots.
Hammon said after Game 2 that she wanted to achieve a C-plus effort in defending Ionescu, as the defense had not even been average in the first two games at Barclays Center. What that meant was simplifying the plan and making it extremely clear what the principles were for Ionescu and which Liberty players we needed to help.
Ionescu broke free from the defense a few times in the first quarter to get to her floater, but she couldn’t convert. Once the Aces tightened the coverage, Ionescu was repeatedly stuck far from the basket, unable to turn the corner or find an outlet in the half court. She had as many assists as turnovers (five) and had the lowest scoring playoff output of her career with four points on 1-of-7 shooting.
Hammon’s class Friday? A-plus, no notes.
“She’s playing great, so obviously they want to make it difficult for her,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “They put her in action on the other end, this time they were very aggressive in the pick-and-rolls. She couldn’t go downhill. It was more of a hard hedge and very active, deflecting their hands.
Without Ionescu in charge, the Liberty turned to isolation basketball, a style of play inconsistent with the movement and screening that defined them during the regular season, when they had the league’s best record.
Meanwhile, the Aces’ defense got them into the offensive rhythm that was missing earlier in the series.
“We always say our defense drives our offense,” Hayes said. “We know we’re doing well defensively, and even though we’re a little bit smaller, we’ve got some dogs and we can get a lot done.”
New York’s starting perimeter trio of Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton combined to score 21 points. Young single-handedly surpassed that with 24. Plum added 20, Gray chipped in 10 and Hayes provided 11 off the bench.
Their collective might was on full display during a game-changing 16-0 run in the third quarter, as the Aces extended a four-point lead to 20. Plum got things going with a drive to the rim off the dribble and then found Gray for the next score in an early foul on a trailing 3-pointer. Gray followed that with a beautiful lob over the top to Wilson as Breanna Stewart put her in the post to take the lead to double figures.
Then it was Hayes’ turn. She faked leaving and rode to her weak hand, leaving Nyara Sabally in the dust. Plum had a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound, hit a technical free throw and then added another 3-pointer off a drive-and-kick by Hayes. Fourteen points and three assists came from the guard group, while the Liberty missed nine shots and committed seven turnovers in that stretch.
“I think our attention to detail defensively was super sharp,” Gray said. “They’re a good team, but you want to make them look tough, and that was the case with Sabrina. We just paid attention to the details coming out of the pick-and-roll to make sure she wasn’t comfortable. And it all starts on defense, so we can get a little better on offense.”
The Aces know their advantage must come in the backcourt, as the Liberty have two frontcourt MVPs in Stewart and Jonquel Jones. Wilson’s excellence has been consistent, but the perimeter has been the separating factor over the last two title runs.
Wilson felt confident that the desperation of the situation would bring out the best in her teammates. “One thing I know for sure is that sometimes when our backs are against the wall, that’s when we really break free and shine the brightest,” she said.
A 14-point victory that was more lopsided than the margin suggests, confirming Wilson’s belief. The Aces ultimately executed defensively and set the tone. Their pace was infectious on offense, with their guard quartet involved for the first time this season, allowing Las Vegas to play at least one more game and stay in the hunt for a three-peat.
“We’re the Aces,” Hammon said. “We’re not going to fold.”
(Photo, from left, of Chelsea Gray, Jonquel Jones and Kelsey Plum: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
