Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Champion Celtics put Knicks to shame and tie the single-game 3-point record in the season opener

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The Champs got their new jewelry, raised their 18th championship banner and outclassed the Knicks in the season opener, unleashing a record-tying 3-point bombardment. 

 

Kristaps Porziņģis was absent for the Celtics as he recovers from surgery on his left leg. 

 

The hosts started off by attacking Karl-Anthony Towns for multiple buckets at close and long range. They subsequently had a 20 point lead with a minute to go in the first frame. 

 

Jayson Tatum, who was guarded by Mikal Bridges before the switch, downed four trays, three off the pick and pop, and another isolating Jericho Sims for a deep pull-up at the top of the key. The rest of Gang Green sprinkled in six of 11 3-pointers. 

 

On the other side, Brunson maneuvered to the interior, dropping in two layups and nailing a baseline jumper. And Miles McBride provided seven digits off the bench. But Bridges fired four jumpers, all looking horrendous because of his slow release and fractured mechanics. 

 

Brunson continued providing relief, attacking in transition and canning a left-wing triple over Al Horford. And McBride and Towns broke into double figures. Defensively, they cranked up their defensive intensity, holding the Celtics to five straight misses early in the quarter. But it didn’t last long. 

 

Tatum checked back in and hit his fifth 3-pointer on the left side while guarded well by Bridges. Then he splashed his sixth, checked tightly in the right corner by Bridges, pushing the champs past 70 points. Defensively, the best possession was when Brown forced an eight-second violation in the back court while checking Brunson.

 

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau presumably had a conniption in the locker room at halftime. His team made 11 of 18 baskets in the second quarter. The hosts countered, making 11 of 22. 

 

At that point, the Celtics led 74-55. They had an edge on the glass by eight, were ahead in paint points at 24-18 and made 17 of 32 3-pointers.

 

Afterward, the Celtics started the second half making seven of eight triples in over six minutes, forcing a Knicks stoppage as the scoreboard read 99-70. As the quarter went on, Tatum toyed with Sims on the right wing, letting him come up close to defend and then successfully pulled up in his eye.

 

Defensively, the champs didn’t show much resistance, allowing the opponents 57.1% % accuracy in the frame.

 

Next, the fourth quarter started with the Celtics on top by 26 points. The threes didn’t slow down much to begin the quarter. Boston rattled off three more, tying the record for most in a game. They also missed 13 in a row, looking to claim sole possession of the record. Momentarily, the lead swelled to 35 points. 

 

The Celtics won 132-109. They had an advantage on the boards by six and collected 30 paint points, 12 on the break, 16 via second chances, 19 off turnovers and 19 from the bench.

 

Tatum had 37 points on 14 of 18 attempts, including eight of 11 triples, with four rebounds, 10 assists, one block, one steal and one turnover. 

 

Derrick White logged 24 digits on eight of 13 tries, with three rebounds and four assists.

 

Brown put up 23 points on 39% shooting, with seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one giveaway. 

 

And Holiday recorded 18 points, making 78% of attempts, with four rebounds, four assists and one steal. 

 

The Knicks had 42 paint points, 13 on extra tries, four in the open court, two off turnovers and 43 from the reserves. 

 

Brunson scored 22 points on nine of 14 attempts, with one rebound, two assists and four turnovers.

 

At the postgame presser, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said his championship ring is too big, he’ll never wear it, it’s cool to have, but he likes the banner more.

 

 Regarding tying the 3-point record and trying to break it, Brown said, “It was almost like we got jinxed or something… once the crowd got into it and we started hunting them, we couldn’t even hit the right side of the barn. Everything was off; we got a bunch of great looks, but it was like a lid on the basket.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: New York Liberty won Game 5, claiming the WNBA championship

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The New York Liberty won Game 5, celebrating their championship efforts in front of their supporters. Despite Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu laying more bricks than the cartel (five of 34), New York’s Jonquel Jones, Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally carried them to the title. In a physical game, the hosts took 17 more free throw attempts, and Stewart was bailed out by the refs late in the fourth quarter. And Jones claimed the Finals MVP trophy. 

Observations:

  • New York played stiff through much of the first half and shot 28.6% from the field.  They converted 12 of 37 attempts in the last two quarters against Minnesota’s stiff defense.

 

  • Jonquel Jones got anything she wanted near the rim.

 

  • Collier was unstoppable on rim rolls, a back door cut and a face-up from the outside. 

 

  • Ionescu and Stewart were missing makeable shots from long and short range throughout the game 

 

  • Minnesota’s poor start offensively in the third quarter allowed New York to gain confidence. 

 

  • Nyara Sabally supplied instant production from the bench. She bothered opposing actions and effectively went to the body like a heavyweight fighter. Two straight buckets from her late in the third quarter took the lead for the Liberty, causing a Lynx stoppage. Then she briefly retook it for the team on a trip to the line. She was tied with Stewart and Leonie Fiebich as New York’s second-leading scorer (13).

 

  • Kayla McBride contributed a few big buckets on the dribble in the fourth quarter for Minnesota as the game was in balance. 

 

  • Fiebich provided a boost in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter with a basket and free throws. She also added two steals and seven rebounds for the night.

 

  • Stewart traveled before getting rewarded with a whistle by the refs with five seconds left in the fourth. It was seen on replay. 

 

  • Spike Lee was on his knees in overtime.

 

  • Minnesota’s Bridget Carleton drew a key charge on Sabally with 93 seconds left in OT as the scoreboard read 65-62 in favor of the Liberty. The Lynx didn’t score the rest of the way, even when Carleton had a good enough look from the wing to tie. 

 

  • Williams had a terrible turnover when checked back into overtime in the last minute. 

 

  • After the game, coach Chery Reeve said it was a “shame that officiating had such a hand in a series like this.” She also advocated for changing the challenge rules and insisted it was not a foul against Stewart that should have been reversed. 

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Minnesota Lynx win Game 4 versus the New York Liberty, setting up the season finale

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Courtney Williams blended the defense with her dribble. Napheesa Collier picked up four steals. And Bridget Carleton buried the two freebies that put the hosts over the edge. 

 

Early, Kayla McBride and Collier connected on four of five 3-pointers and each scored at close range. But the crew had four turnovers because of miscommunication, a poor pass, the Liberty’s up-close pressure, and a shove by McBride.

 

On the other side, Jonquel Jones splashed a triple plus made a post-up shot, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton tallied seven digits and the bench put up five points. But Breanna Stewart was contained to zero of seven baskets by being doubled and having her jumper contested promptly.

 

Defensively, Collier had two steals in the sequence- poking the ball loose from Stewart and intercepting Leonie Fiebich’s pass. Then the Lynx got sloppy, losing the ball three extra times, getting scored on quickly twice. Each turnover was a product of Stewart’s pass breakups and a strip.

 

For the Liberty offensively, Fiebich swished a corner tray, nailed a long pull-up two-pointer and dribbled past Williams from the post to the cup for a basket. Stewart produced two of four buckets. 

 

At halftime, the Lynx led 46-45. The crew had 12 paint points, nine on the break, two on extra tries, eight off turnovers and two from the bench. 

 

The Liberty accumulated 22 interior marks, eight in the open court, two via second chances, eight off turnovers and seven from the reserves.

 

Next, the hosts’ offense slowed down to 18 points. Alanna Smith was the leading supplier with two 3-pointers and a rim roll. The rest of the team converted two of 12 shots in the frame. Yet the defense prevented the visitors from taking control, picking up three steals and forcing two more giveaways. 

 

The Liberty matched the Lynx in third-quarter scoring and, at one point, scored 11 straight marks. Jones and Stewart combined for five baskets without misses. 

 

The fourth quarter began with Lynx up 64-63.

 

Subsequently and uncharacteristically, Stewart missed three practice shots and was held to 12.5% accuracy. And Jones scored one of four makes.  

 

 For the hosts, Cecilia Zandalasini provided two relief buckets. And McBride made a mid-range jumper and a left-wing triple to put the Lynx up by five points in crunch time.

 

But the Lynx went scoreless for over two minutes, and Jones plus Sabrina Ionescu tied the game at 80 digits. 

 

Williams tried to break the stalemate by dribbling left on Laney-Hamilton to the elbow for a jumper but missed. Then Ionescu was called for a loose ball foul as she attempted to box out Carleton’s offensive rebound.  

 

Carleton then made both freebies and on defense, locked and trailed Ionescu closely to prevent a clean shot off the catch with two seconds left.

 

The Lynx won 82-80. The squad had 26 paint points, 11 on the break, five on spare tries, 19 off turnovers and 10 from the bench.

 

McBride scored 19 points on six of 15 attempts with, two rebounds, four assists and three turnovers.

 

Williams had 15 points on 43.8% shooting, with four rebounds, seven dimes, one steal and two turnovers.

 

And Collier notched 14 points, making 40% of her shots, with nine rebounds, four dimes, four steals and three giveaways. 

 

The Liberty had 38 interior marks, 12 in the open court, four via second chances, 19 off turnovers and nine from the reserves.

 

Jones tallied 21 points on seven of 10 shots, with eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, two blocks and three turnovers.

 

Fiebich totaled 19 points on 58.3% accuracy, with three rebounds, five assists, two steals and one turnover.

 

Stewart had 11 points on five of 21 looks, with 11 boards, four dimes, three steals, one block and two giveaways. 

 

And Ionescu had 10 points on five of 15 attempts, with six rebounds, five assists and four turnovers. 

 

McBride handled the on-court interview. She said, “The last game was heartbreaking, 48 hours ago. We wanted to come out and leave everything out here, and that’s all we had to do. Now we get to go play for everything, for all the marbles.”

 

At the postgame presser, coach Cheryl Reeve was asked about the difference in Game 5. She said, “I wish I knew. I’d either not sleep or sleep really good if I knew the difference. It’s two great teams. Who knows?

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: New York Liberty tie up championship series going to Minnesota

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The New York Liberty won Game 2 at home to tie the WNBA Finals. Sabrina Ionescu unfastened Minnesota’s coverages early on. Breanna Stewart registered a record seven steals in a championship bout. And Betnijah Laney-Hamilton connected on four back-breaking trays.

 

Early, the Lynx’s offense missed four makeable 3-pointers and committed five turnovers, while the hosts’ defense prevented any trips to the line. Additionally, the Liberty converted its first 13 of 18 field goal attempts and held a 10-point lead through 12 minutes. 

 

Most of the action came from Ionescu, who scored a layup on the break, dribbled into the paint for a floater, curled around a pick, making a jumper in the middle and downed two trays. Stewart and Laney-Hamilton each contributed seven marks.

 

Subsequently, the Liberty was held to 29.4% shooting in the second quarter. Yet, five offensive rebounds that turned into four second-chance points, multiple trips to the line, and forcing five turnovers made them match the Lynx’s scoring. Despite the inaccuracy, the hosts were the nastier team. At one moment, their advantage rose to 17 points. 

 

The Liberty led at intermission, 49-39. The squad had 14 paint points, 10 on the break, six via second chances, 14 off turnovers and four from the bench. 

 

The Lynx put up 20 interior marks, nine in the open court, none on extra tries, six off turnovers and three from the reserves.

 

Then the guests came out of the break dropping four of six baskets by hand of Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith. But the Liberty’s defense tightened up, holding the guests to two of 10 baskets by contesting jumpers on time and having help rotate promptly. 

 

Offensively, the Liberty were in the mud in the third quarter, too. Jonquel Jones, Ionescu and Stewart were the only providers, each with four marks.

 

Next, the fourth quarter started with the hosts ahead 61-53.

 

When the Lynx were within striking distance, Napheesa Collier hit a fadeaway and a power-step through the lane. And Williams dribbled past Jones from the top to the cup for a scoop. But it wasn’t enough.

 

Laney-Hamilton responded with a corner 3-pointer, and Leonie Fiebich struck the next blow: the wing 3-pointer on the break that stretched the lead to nine points supplied by Williams dribbling the ball off her foot. 

 

On top of that, Stewart continued being a defensive menace. Her doubling produced a strip on Williams and she poked a bal loose from the post plus broke up a bad pass from Collier. 

 

The Liberty won 80-66. The team had 28 paint points, 19 on the break, 10 via second chances, 26 off turnovers and seven from the bench. 

 

Stewart had 21 digits on seven of 18 attempts, with eight rebounds, five assists, one block, seven steals and five giveaways.

 

 Laney-Hamilton contributed 20 points on 57.1% accuracy, with two rebounds, two assists, one steal and three turnovers. 

 

Ionescu put up 15 points on five of nine looks, with four rebounds, five assists, two seals and two giveaways. 

 

And Jones had 14 points 46.2% shooting, with nine rebounds, one dime, two steals and four turnovers.

 

The Lynx had 34 interior marks, 13 in the open court, four on spare attempts, 17 off turnovers and five from the reserves. 

 

Collier put up 16 points on seven of 12 shots, with eight boards, three dimes, four steals and seven giveaways.

 

Williams had 15 digits on 50% accuracy, with eight assists, six rebounds, one steal and five turnovers.

 

And Smith had 14 points on six of nine tries, with two rebounds, two assists, one steal and three turnovers. 

 

After the game, Stewart said she couldn’t wait to play following the upset in Game 1. When asked about her defense, she said, “I wanted to make it difficult for every single one of the players I was going up against…”

 

At the post-match presser, Ionescu was asked about how defensive pressure impacts her play. She said, “Being able to understand how teams are playing me and being able to kind of make that adjustment in real time. Possession by possession, quarter by quarter, teams have kind of changed the way they’ve guarded. Whether they are switching, hedging, trapping…”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Defensive specialist Michael Cooper joins his teammates in the Hall of Fame

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Former Lakers guard Michael Cooper is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player. He joins his teammates Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes and Bob McAdoo.

 

In the NBA’s most physical era, he was a top shelf perimeter defender- in zone plus man coverage- and an integral part to five championship teams.

 

His entry signifies that defense and sacrifice still matter.

 

When Cooper got the call from Jerry Colangelo, he was next to his wife Yvonne and thought an April Fools joke was being cracked on him, he revealed on the Showtime with Coop Podcast. He was stoically waiting for the punchline, and Yvonne said, “Babe, you got in.”

 

Next, former teammate, friend and Hall of Famer James Worthy called to congratulate. Then it was his other close pal and former squadmate, Magic Johnson.

 

Cooper was an eight-time Defensive Team member and the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year. Former Lakers coach and current Miami Heat president Pat Riley was once quoted after LA’s first-round strangling of the Nuggets, saying about Cooper, “He’s one of the most versatile players ever to play in the league. A perfect player. His role is to supply. Supply what? Everything, I’d say.”

 

That could mean guarding Denver’s Alex English, Boston’s Larry Bird, Chicago’s Michael Jordan or Milwaukee’s Bob Lanier.

 

And no, he didn’t take it easy on Magic Johnson when the point guard was coming back from a knee injury in 1981 or when training his children.

 

He was an early 3-and-D prototype who moved well off the ball and was an open-court threat because of his top-notch athleticism. Additionally, if the backline protection wasn’t paying attention, Cooper would burst past a back screen and punch in a lob. Or he’d dash around a floppy set or beat defenders back door for layups. Or he’d capitalize in the mid-range when his defender doubled Abdul-Jabbar.

 

Cooper and his brother Mickey were raised by his grandmother, Ardessie Butler. He later attended Pasadena City College and the University of New Mexico over four years. He flew under the radar, but he caught Jerry West’s attention with his relentless defense.  And in 1978, he was the Los Angeles Lakers’ third-round pick. He was a super sub and spot-starter for 11 seasons.

 

He didn’t think he’d last. In fact, Cooper thought he was going to be cut from the team when Riley told him to take a few days off to rest his ankle in 1982. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

 

Cooper’s innate superpower was his hunger to keep working. It was also fueled by his paranoia of one day getting discarded. If he had a bad night, he would check out old films of his dominating efforts to soothe the nerves.

 

While his teammates provided the buckets, Cooper slowed down the other team’s top outside option with quick hands plus feet and some acidic trash talk.

 

Cooper played in over 500 consecutive games, had six seasons never missing a match, is eighth all-time in minutes for the Lakers in the regular season, fifth in assists and steals and 12th in converted 3-pointers.

 

For the Purple and Gold in the Playoffs, he is 10th in minutes, seventh in blocks, fifth in steals, fourth in assists and third in made threes and competed in eight NBA Finals.

 

After the NBA, he played one season in Italy for the Virtus Roma club. He averaged 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists and earned All-Star MVP honors of LEGA Basket Serie A.

 

Furthermore, he was one of the Lakers’ strongest players in the Game 7 loss of the 1984 Finals in Boston. While the Celtics celebrated, he stayed up with his wife of the time, Wanda, breaking down the tape of the series.

 

Then Cooper helped the Lakers get revenge the following season, defeating the Celtics for the first time in Los Angeles’ rivalry. He and Byron Scott led the Lakers in made 3-pointers (7).

 

At one point during the ride that postseason, Riley gave a speech in the locker room about stopping to smell the roses. Those words have stuck with Cooper.

 

One of his top moments was closing with the team in perhaps the moment that best encapsulates Showtime—the eight-point comeback in the last few minutes of Game 4 of the 1987 Finals.

 

At that point, the Lakers led the series 2-1. Cooper was pivotal, winning a jump-ball versus Danny Ainge, nailing a catch-and-shoot transition triple and setting the cross screen on the baseline that got Abdul-Jabbar open for a lob that took the lead with 29 seconds left.

 

Another noteworthy instance was the key stop on Isiah Thomas in Game 6 of the 1988 Finals. Thomas was busting up coverages and he was powering through a bad ankle. With under 30 seconds, Cooper forced him to a tough, contested and unsuccessful baseline jumper with the Lakers down a point.

 

And in Game 5 against the Utah Jazz in round two in 1988, he canned the 18-foot shot to ice the match.

 

In his 10th season, team broadcaster Chick Hearn interviewed him, asking what he would do if he had played his last game. Cooper said he would spend a lot of time with his family and work with children.

 

His numbers won’t sell most people, but Cooper is a case of you either had to be there or do your homework. Larry Bird once said, “The best defensive player that ever guarded me was Michael Cooper. I’ll take that to my grave with me.”

 

After balling, Cooper coached with the Lakers as an assistant to Randy Pfund, Bill Bertka, Del Harris and Johnson. Next he was an assistant for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and later promoted to head coach, winning back-to-back championships.

He also was an assistant and interim coach for the Denver Nuggets, and head coach of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, University of Southern California Women’s basketball team, Atlanta Dream, Chadwick School and Culver City High School.

 

Presently, Cooper is an assistant on Jim Saia’s staff for the Cal State LA Golden Eagles.

In an interview for a story about Riley’s career published in late 2023, Cooper told Five Reasons Sports Network that he adopted 80% of the former Laker coaches’ style.

 

He still keeps his old playbook from Laker days, too. His favorite play was fist-up– give it to Abdul-Jabbar for the skyhook. He said, “When we put our fist up in the air, that was the play that we didn’t have to disguise, the play that people knew was coming.”

 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Minnesota Lynx upstaged the New York Liberty in Game 1 of the Finals

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The hosting Liberty took their fingers off the trigger, and the Lynx struck them down. The visitors were behind 15 points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter but rose from the grave on moves from Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, Natisha Hiedeman and Napheesa Collier to force overtime. They then outmarked the Liberty, 11-8.

 

Early, the Liberty were making pelts out of the Lynx. Jonquel Jones overmatched inside protections. Sabrina Ionescu added a pair of trays and spun into the lane, making a floater. Leonie Fiebich downed two 3-pointers. And they pieced up the glass, coming up with six extra tries that turned into 10 points. 

 

The Lynx countered with seven of 14 baskets but were still on their heels. 

 

Subsequently, the deficit expanded to below 18 points nearly four minutes into frame two. But the Lynx started showing fangs- the defensive pressure on Ionescu skyrocketed, bothering her with length and using blitzes that neutralized her passes. Fiebich’s four 3-point attempts were contested cleanly, too.

 

Offensively, Collier scored back-to-back shots on the break that slashed the deficit to single digits. And McBride blasted a corner triple and tallied a coast-to-coast basket.

 

The Lynx were down 36-44 at intermission. The team had 18 paint points, six on the break, three via second chances, four off turnovers and five from the bench.

 

The Liberty put up 20 interior marks, 15 in the open court, 12 on extra tries, eight off turnovers and five from the reserves.

 

Next, McBride, Collier and Bridget Carleton opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run. Yet the Liberty’s German sniper retaliated with a trifecta from each corner. Jones hit a 12-foot jumper and two free throws. And Stewart supplied seven more points. 

 

The fourth quarter started with the Lynx down 61-68. With five minutes left, New York’s advantage had climbed back to 15 points. Jones produced at the line. Stewart splashed a 3-pointer. Fiebich added five extra marks. And Ionescu made a transition layup. 

 

But the Lynx clawed their way back again. McBride and Hiedeman connected on triples. Collier hit a mid-range jumper off the catch, powered by Stewart for a bank shot and denied Jones at close range. And Williams, maneuvered to the left for an 18-footer, cut up the break, making a floater and nailed the four-point play that gave the Lynx the lead with 5.5 seconds left in the fourth.

 

Then Collier blocked Stewart at three feet from the cup. Stewart got off another attempt but was fouled by Collier with .1 seconds left. As the Liberty were down a point, she only converted one of two, setting up overtime instead of taking the win. 

 

In overtime, Williams had five points but had a brutal turnover that Ionescu scored on, cutting the Lynx lead to two points. Collier had back-to-back steals and made the dagger fadeaway over Jones. 

 

The Lynx won 95-93. The team had 42 paint points, 17 on the break, 11 via second chances, 17 off turnovers and 15 from the bench. 

 

Williams had 23 points on nine of 18 attempts, with five rebounds, five assists and three giveaways. McBride put up 22 marks on 55% accuracy, with two rebounds, four assists, one steal and one turnover. And Collier had 21 points on 10 of 16 looks, with eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, six blocks and one turnover. 

 

The Liberty totaled 36 interior marks, 19 in the open court, 23 on extra tries, 15 off turnovers and 10 from the reserves.

 

Jones racked up 24 digits on nine of 14 attempts, with 10 boards, three dimes, one steal and two turnovers. Ionescu registered 19 points on eight of 26 ventures, with five boards, three assists, four steals and three giveaways. Stewart logged 18 points on 29% shooting, with nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two turnovers. And Fiebich had 17 points on 43.8% accuracy, with six rebounds and four assists.

 

Collier handled the on-court interview. When asked about her defense on Stewart, she said, “She’s one of the best players in the world. I just tried to be aggressive and make the shots as hard as possible.”

 

At the postgame presser, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the late comeback defines her team. “You have to be mentally tough… and we were that team. I’m thrilled we could hang in there.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The end of a special era for the Las Vegas Aces

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The Aces rode on until bolts loosened, armor dented and wheels fell off.

 

They failed to 3-peat and gave up the final match in the fourth quarter to last year’s runner-up in Las Vegas. The New York Liberty were hungrier and had a better crew in the rematch. On top of that, Sabrina Ionescu, who got shut down in the 2023 Finals, outplayed each Aces’ perimeter player. And Breanna Stewart was sharper than A’ja Wilson partly because the Liberty had superior guards helping. 

 

Now it’s time for the extinguished back-to-back champs to get younger and more athletic with the roster. 

 

After Game 4, Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said during one timeout that the team was grasping for straws. She also commented, “It’s not going to be the same group probably next year. It just won’t, and I’m sad about that because I really like that group.”

 

The only untouchables are Wilson and Jackie Young. The former will be the hub of an offense for a long time. She can be a post-monster and spends a lot of time playing like a guard on face-ups. Her versatility makes her one of the top three most lethal scorers in the WNBA, alongside Napheesa Collier and Stewart. 

 

Young is an ideal complementary player who needs more usage in the future so she can attract more doubles to free up Wilson.  

 

The foundation is excellent. 

 

Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum are the high-profile expendables. They are still capable of success, but it will come in different roles and around point-of-attack plus help side defenders and penetrators who can cover for their weaknesses.

 

Gray missed the first 12 games of the season because of an injury sustained during Game 3 of the previous Finals. She spent most of the year working herself into shape. By the end, her big-time shot/making was back, but she was unable to create separation and wasn’t as effective on defense.  

 

Her passing is still in the .1% of the league. There are zero doubts she can be a top-tier reserve who alters pace with her outlets and works as a corner/wing sniper. 

 

Then there’s Plum. She averaged a 61.3% true shooting mark for the 2022 and 2023 postseasons. Her accuracy dropped off to 56.3% in the category. The defensive intensity also wasn’t the same. Her 5-foot-8 stature and 5-foot-11 wingspan don’t help her much. 

 

Still, she’s capable of providing a spark. In the 2024 Playoffs, Plum attempted a career-high of shots in the paint non-restricted area (43.4%) and logged a personal best in that zone (57.6%). 

 

Plum was going through a divorce this season that left her devastated.

 

It won’t be easy replacing Gray and Plum’s on-court impact or their significance in the locker room. But it will be on Wilson, Young and Hammon to step up more than ever.  

 

The Aces played in 25 postseason games since 2022, winning 19 (Aug.17, 2022- Oct. 6, 2024). The only other unit to appear in that many Playoff games in that timeframe is the Connecticut Sun, with 13 triumphs (Aug. 18, 2022- Oct. 6, 2024).  

 

They were a supergroup with elite ball movement and protections. Before Candace Parker broke her left foot, the 2023 Aces were one of the most dominant groups the public ever saw. Next to the Los Angeles Sparks and Houston Comets, the Aces are the only team to have won championships in consecutive years. The Comets won four in a row and the Sparks claimed two. 

 

“We’ve changed the way this league plays,” Hammon said at the postgame presser. “That’s something that our team can be proud of.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart punch New York’s 2024 Finals ticket

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The New York Liberty put down the back-to-back defending champions in Game 4 in Las Vegas, avenging last year’s Finals defeat, too. Sabrina Ionescu plus Jonquel Jones lit up the perimeter. Breanna Stewart scored at three levels. And the defense shut down any hope for a second-half comeback.

 

The Liberty’s intensity resembled that of unfed wolves early. Ionescu rattled off a dozen marks, nailing three trays and driving left into the lane for a bucket plus the foul. And Stewart scored on a big-to-big pick-and-roll set, saved a broken play by maneuvering from the top to the cup easily and registered a putback.

 

Yet, the Aces picked up extra opportunities and earned multiple trips to the line, offsetting their six of 19 start from the field. 

 

In frame two, Leonie Fiebich – New York’s connector- picked up her third foul as the group was ahead 10 points with five minutes left in the half. As she sat, the visitors were outscored 11-4 to end the period on moves from Chelsea Gray, A’ja Wilson, Alysha Clark and Kelsey Plum. The Liberty converted two of 11 baskets and committed three turnovers in that span.

 

At halftime, the Liberty were up 41-38. The squad had 20 paint points, none on the break, seven via second chances, three off turnovers and two from the bench. 

 

The Aces had 18 interior marks, four in the open court, four on spare tries, 12 off turnovers and seven from the reserves. 

 

Then both squads raised their defensive RPMs. For the guests, Kennedy Burke was held scoreless on three tries. Stewart missed at the arc against Clark and Wilson plus failed curling into a jumper over Plum. Ionescu got her 3-pointer denied by Wilson on a switch. And the squad had five turnovers as it recorded five of 19 baskets. 

 

The Aces were barely any better, connecting on a third of looks and outscoring the Liberty by one. Wilson was the solution on offense, dribbling from the wing to the rim for a layup, scoring on an inverted pick-and-roll set with Clark and making a shot under the cup on the feed from Tiffany Hayes. 

 

The fourth quarter started with the visitors on top, 53-51.

 

It was a heavyweight fight heading into the championship rounds. The Liberty’s defense maintained its edge, and their three artillery strikes were the difference.

 

Stewart had three blocks, two on Plum up close and the last against Wilson at mid-range. And Jackie Young and Gray were held scoreless on five attempts. 

 

Despite Stewart’s four misses, the offense was in sixth gear, shooting 50% to close the game. Ionescu was the four quarter’s leading scorer with seven points, coming from a give-and-go on the right side plus nailing two freebies and a left-side catch-and-shoot banger.

 

The Liberty won 76-62. The group picked up 30 paint points, four on the break, 14 via second chances, eight off turnovers and eight from the bench.

 

Ionescu totaled 22 points on 50% shooting, with seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and four turnovers. Stewart dropped 19 marks on eight of 21 attempts, with 14 rebounds, five assists, one steal, four blocks and two giveaways. And Jones had 14 points on 45.5% accuracy, with six rebounds and one turnover. 

 

The Aces logged 28 interior digits, seven in the open court, four on extra tries, 14 off turnovers and 13 from the reserves. 

 

Wilson put up 19 points on seven of 13 shots, with 10 boards, one dime, one steal, five blocks and a turnover. Plum tallied 17 points on 31.3% shooting, with two rebounds, one assist and two steals. And Hayes had 11 points on 37.5% shooting, with three rebounds, two assists, one block and two turnovers.

 

Stewart and Ionescu handled the on-court interview. The former said, “We watched the film. Game 3 was ugly… We didn’t want to play another game in New York until it’s the Finals.”

 

The latter said, “We haven’t done anything yet… We are three wins away, and that’s really important to understand. We got to come out, and we got to punch because nothing’s been given to us yet.”

 

The winner of Connecticut Sun @ Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday will play New York in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday. 

 

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Aces’ airtight defense crushed the Liberty in Game 3

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The Aces will leave to deal another day. A’ja Wilson carried her squad to the finish line, and the defensive pressure- blitzing Sabrina Ionescu and suffocating the 3-point line- zapped the visitors in the second half. 

 

Wilson didn’t allow the Liberty’s protection to put a lid on her game early. She came out converting a pick-and-pop jumper, assaulting the rim and splashing a top-of-the-key tray. 

 

On the other side, Breanna Stewart rattled off three consecutive baskets. And Jones burst into the paint from the top to the cup for a layup and downed a corner triple. 

 

In frame two, Plum added seven digits, pulling up in the corner and maneuvering to the hole twice. Wilson disrupted two close-range attempts for Stewart and scored on a gorgeous feed from Chelsea Gray on a pick-and-roll set, plus logged a bucket from the dunker spot. 

 

At halftime, the Aces were up 52-49. Additionally, the squad had 20 paint points, nine on the break, seven on extra tries, three off turnovers and eight from the bench.

 

The Liberty accumulated 18 interior marks, eight in the open court, six via second chances, two off turnovers and 16 from the reserves.  Ionescu was held scoreless on four attempts.

 

Then the hosts crushed the guests, making them play mostly from the outside and forced seven turnovers. Only two of 14 field goals were allowed in the third quarter. Alysha Clark bothered Stewart’s jumper on time on the perimeter and in the post. The defense closed in quickly on offensive rebounds. And the passing lanes were as secure as Fort Knox.

 

The contributions on offense were overkill. Plum followed up with two trifectas and dribbled left by Leonie Fiebich from the top to the cup for a layup. And Wilson nailed a step-back jumper over Jonquel Jones plus spun out of a post up at the elbow for a catch and score under the rim. 

 

The fourth quarter started with the champs ahead 73-55.

 

Yet the rest of the match was a formality as no Liberty player logged more than six minutes.

 

The Aces won 95-81. The team picked up 42 paint points, eight on the break, 12 via second chances, 13 off turnovers and 17 from the bench. 

 

Wilson had 19 points on eight of 14 attempts, with 14 rebounds, three assists, one block and three giveaways. Young put up 24 marks on 56% accuracy, with six rebounds, four assists and one turnover. And Plum dropped 20 points on seven of 11 makes, with one steal and one turnover. 

 

The Liberty finished with 28 interior digits, 13 in the open court, 12 on spare tries, six off turnovers and 21 from the reserves. 

 

Stewart had 19 points on seven of 17 shots, with six boards and one dime. Nobody else took more than eight looks. Ionescu scored four points on one of seven attempts, with five rebounds, five assists and five giveaways. Jones totaled 11 points 50% accuracy, with six rebounds, one assist, one block and two turnovers. And Fiebich had 10 points on four of eight makes, with four rebounds and two assists.

 

Wilson handled the on-court interview. She said, “We got to sustain this. This is just one game…”

 

The series is 2-1 in favor of the Liberty. No team in WNBA history has come back in a series after losing the first two.



Sabrina Ionescu’s takeover leads the Liberty to a 2-0 lead versus the defending champions

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The  Las Vegas Aces’ first-quarter burst included 10 field goals scored on nine assists. Yet, Chelsea Gray’s multiple catch-and-shoot trays, drive through the center and mid-range pull-up, and Alysha Clark’s three 3-pointers only amounted to a five-point advantage, partly because of poor ball protection and getting outrebounded. The Aces’ first bad omen was Kelsey Plum picking up two fouls in fewer than two minutes. 

 

The hosts’ defense forced three turnovers (two via steals) that turned into four marks.  Additionally, Courtney Vandersloot woke the team up like smelling salts, supplying seven bench points. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton canned two triples. And Breanna Stewart cut through the middle of a horns set for a jumper and scored on a pick-and-roll with Jones, making a floater in the paint.

 

Then it got ugly for the visiting champions. The Liberty outscored them 24-13 in the second quarter. Plum was getting worked on defense and could barely buy a basket. Gray wasn’t getting separation and was slow to contest. 

 

On the other side, Sabrina Ionescu flared into two triples- one at the top of the key and one in the corner. And Kayla Thorton was immaculate on four tries.

 

The Liberty led at halftime 46-40, with a slight rebound advantage and committed three fewer turnovers. On top of that, the crew had 28 paint points, 10 on the break, seven via second chances, 20 off turnovers and 16 from the bench.

 

The Aces had 10 interior marks, three in the open court, 11 on extra attempts, nine off turnovers and seven from the reserves.

 

Subsequently, Jackie Young came out of the break downing three 3-pointers. A’ja Wilson scored in transition and used a stagger screen to curl to the left elbow for a jumper. 

 

Yet, the counter was Jonquel Jones, Ionescu and Vandersloot combining for six of 10 baskets. Stewart dribbled past Young on the baseline for a layup and made two freebies, too. 

 

The fourth quarter started with the Liberty ahead by seven. Plum was benched and played four minutes to close.

 

Wilson erupted, making six of the Aces’ seven field goals of the period. Three of them came against Jones. 

 

For the hosts, Jones splashed a tray. And Ionescu used handoffs to get down to the right and left interior thrice for baskets and hit a mid-range pull-up in Wilson’s face to take a two-point lead with 75 seconds left.

 

Next, the Liberty had the Aces on life support in the last 10 seconds with a four-point lead. Out of a timeout, Wilson caught in the post, didn’t look to pass and took a two-point shot when her team badly needed a three. Had one been successful, it would’ve cut the deficit to one. And in that hypothetical situation, if the Aces failed to steal the inbound, they’d likely be down three digits after the opponents’ free throws. And with a chance to tie.

 

Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon should have instructed her players on that, but didn’t until they got the ball back, with a four-point deficit and five seconds left. 

 

The Liberty won 88-84. The squad had 44 paint points, 12 on the break, 11 via second chances, 22 off turnovers and 21 from the bench.

 

Ionescu totaled 24 digits on nine of 18 looks, with nine assists, five rebounds, one steal, one block and two turnovers. Stewart added 15 points on 33.3% shooting, with seven rebounds, eight assists, one steal and three turnovers. And Jones put up 14 marks on five of eight tries, with eight rebounds, four dimes and three giveaways. 

 

The Aces had 24 interior marks, 10 in the open court, 18 on extra attempts, 14 off turnovers and 10 from the reserves. 

 

Wilson had 24 points on 11 of 18 field goals, with seven boards, four assists and one steal. Young dropped 17 points on 38.5% accuracy, with six rebounds, three dimes, two blocks and two turnovers. 

 

Ionescu handled the on-court interview. She said, “We were resilient the whole game. We understood how important this game was. We came out with the right mindset and continued to chip away. This win was huge for us.”

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