Game 1 of the WNBA Finals was something of a statement for the Las Vegas Aces.
The defending champion Aces used a dominant second half to get out to a 1-0 series lead over the New York Liberty. After trailing by three points at the half, Las Vegas outscored New York by 20 points in the second half to pull away with a 17-point win.
Las Vegas' duo of Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum were the stars of the game, each scoring a postseason career-high 26 points apiece to pace the Aces' offense, while New York didn't get as much as it needed from usual contributors.
Now, the focus shifts to Game 2, where the Liberty will look to even the series while the Aces will look to move one win closer to their second straight title. As Las Vegas has yet to lose this postseason, it has momentum on its side, but New York should find some encouragement from its effort in the first half.
Ahead of Wednesday night's Game 2, here are a few things to keep an eye on in the WNBA Finals.
MORE: How the Aces and Liberty built historically talented rosters
Increased defensive intensity from the Liberty
It was certainly a tale of two halves as the Aces erupted for 53 points on 61.3 percent shooting in the second half. Playing a large part in Las Vegas' second-half output was the fact that it got some high-percentage looks.
In the second half alone, the Aces scored 24 points in the paint on 12-of-16 (75.0 percent) shooting. Couple that with 4-of-10 (40.0 percent) from deep in the half and Las Vegas' output on paint touches and 3s was greater than New York's total output in the second half.
Head coach Sandy Brondello admitted that defense was an issue, telling reporters postgame: "We know we can defend better. We've got to make it a bit harder — they got too many open layups at the rim."
Las Vegas made it a point to use offensive actions to displace New York's interior defenders, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart. The result was an inside-out attack in which the Aces guards feasted, with Kelsey Plum (26) and Chelsea Gray (20) combining to score 46 points on 50.0 percent shooting.
Look for the Liberty to make a concerted effort to clog things up in the paint with a focus on limiting the guards.
A focus on guard integration
As memorable of a game as it was for Las Vegas' backcourt duo, it was as forgettable of a performance for New York's backcourt pairing.
Sabrina Ionescu (7 points, 2-7 FG) and Courtney Vandersloot (10 points, 4-11 FG) entered the game averaging a combined 25.6 points in the playoffs but both did not look like themselves, something that is tied to more than their scoring.
The duo did combine for 11 of New York's 17 team assists but neither Ionescu nor Vandersloot seemed like themselves on either side of the floor. According to Brondello, it's nothing to be overly concerned about.
"Our guards had a bit of a tough night," New York's head coach said. "That's not going to happen two games in a row."
Had it not been for reserve guard Marine Johannes' tough shot-making clinic in the first half, the game may have gotten away from the Liberty sooner.
Marine Johannes is ridiculous
— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) October 8, 2023
4 first half threes, all difficult shots, what a start to the WNBA Finals pic.twitter.com/TmCNXKrojy
If New York can get more from its starting guards and have Johannes again contribute from the bench, it should find itself in a great spot to steal Game 2.
MORE: WNBA Finals schedule 2023: Dates, times and more for Aces vs Liberty
New York's 3-point shooting
Led by Ionescu's league-record 128 3s, the Liberty were historically potent from beyond the arc, hitting a league-record 444 triples in the season. The next closest team? Las Vegas with 371 3s for the season. The gap shows just how big of a difference there is.
After shooting 8 of 20 from 3 in the first half of Game 1, New York shot just 1 of 9 from deep in the second half, a large reason its offense sputtered.
With respect to Ionescu, it's worth noting that her only 3-pointer came less than two minutes into the game. To again echo Brondello's sentiment, it's hard to imagine another game in which Ionescu goes 38 minutes of game time without a made 3-point attempt.
In two wins over the Aces during the regular season and their one win in the Commissioner's Cup Championship, the Liberty shot 42 of 106 from 3, equating to 14.0 3s per game at a 39.6 percent clip.
3-point shooting isn't the only element, but it's clearly a large part of New York's winning formula.
MVP matchup
Last but not certainly not least, the game's two biggest stars are whom all the above revolve around.
Game 1 saw 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart score a team-high 21 points (on 8-of-19 shooting) to go along with nine rebounds and two assists. 2022 MVP A'ja Wilson finished with 19 points (on 7-of-11 shooting), eight rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
Needless to say, both players made their impact felt, but it was far from a signature performance for either player.
Both Wilson and Stewart have an opportunity to deliver MVP moments in Game 2 — Wilson can bring her team within one win of a title while Stewart will look to keep her team from falling within one win of elimination.
It's not foreign territory for either player — Wilson strung together three straight 30-point games from Game 2 of the first round through Game 2 of the Semifinals. The level of intention and early dominance she has displayed in the past could put things away for Las Vegas early.
Stewart's best postseason performance came in a pivotal Game 3 in the Semifinals, a game in which she helped New York regain home court with 25 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. With the Liberty looking to steal home court in Game 2, Stewart will need to tap back into that mode.