- What: WNBA Playoff Game
- When: Sunday, September 29
- Who: Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty
- Time: 12:00 p.m. PST
- Where: Barclays Arena (Brooklyn NY)
The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty will face off in the first game of an electrifying WNBA semifinal series on Sunday afternoon.
Las Vegas Aces
The two-time defending champions didn’t consistently perform at their best during the regular season. However, their performance in May, June, July, and after the All-Star break was much better. The key for them is to play championship-caliber basketball now.
The Aces had an exceptional offense, ranking first in the regular season with 86.4 points per game, slightly better than the Liberty. As long as A’ja Wilson is in the game, scoring points won’t be an issue for the Aces.
While the Aces faced defensive challenges at times, they showed remarkable adaptability. In June, their defense struggled, they allowed an average of 86.1 ppg, resulting in a 6-4 record for the month.
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1st in Blocks
1st in Total Rebounds
1st in Defensive Win Shares
3rd in Steals@_ajawilson22 // @WNBA pic.twitter.com/rfFzXXnLPM— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 29, 2024
However, their defense significantly improved in July before the break, and they finished with the fifth-best defense after the break, allowing only 77.7 ppg.
In the first round, they limited Seattle to 71.5 ppg, well below their season average of 83.2.
New York Liberty
The Liberty considered the favorites for the WNBA Finals, hold home-court advantage in this series. However, the Aces enter this matchup with the second-highest odds of clinching the championship.
New York has dominated at Barclays Center throughout the season, boasting an impressive 18-5 home record. The team has shown remarkable resilience after losing the championship last season.
HUNGRY. Time to handle some unfinished business. ????#SEAFOAMSZN | #LIGHTITUPNYL pic.twitter.com/4VzpXfCNgg
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) September 29, 2024
The Liberty won all three matchups against Las Vegas this year, including a convincing 79-67 win in August. They have also been in superb form, winning eight of their last 10 games.
What’s most striking about the team is their balanced roster. While Ionescu delivered a standout performance in Game 2 against Atlanta, Jonquel Jones added 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Additionally, Breanna Stewart’s presence on the court poses a significant challenge for the Aces’ frontcourt, as she can impact the game on both ends.
Aces-Liberty Best Bet
This rivalry matchup is going to be fun to watch. Both of these teams have been the best teams in the league for the past few seasons. Taking a look at the odds and the spread is at 4 points. There hasn’t been much movement on it, as that’s what oddsmakers opened the game at.
The total is at 163.5 and the majority of the public is betting on the over. I don’t really like the total in this matchup. I’m going to side with the Aces and the 4-point spread in this one. This game will set the tone for the rest of the series and I envision it being a close game.
The Aces +4 points is the best bet in this game.
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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
