New York and Las Vegas have been on a collision course for the WNBA Finals all season as the league’s two best teams. They will now meet again for the 2023 league championship.
The best-of-five series begins next Sunday.
The Aces have been there before, winning the franchise’s first championship last season. They are looking to become the league’s first repeat champion since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02.
“We’re happy to put ourselves back in position to win the ultimate prize, which is a championship,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said after the team swept Dallas in the semifinals.
New York advances to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2002 and is the only remaining original franchise not to have won a championship.
“The fact that Liberty hasn’t been to a final since 2002 is incredible,” Stewart said. “Knowing that we have the whole city behind us is really special. »
While Las Vegas swept both of its playoff series, New York had a little more trouble reaching the title round. The Liberty needed overtime to eliminate Washington in the first round. New York lost the first game to Connecticut in the semifinals before winning the final three games of the series.
SEMI FINALS:Jones, Stewart help Liberty win Game 4 against Connecticut Sun and reach final
2023 ELIMINARS:Semi-final results, finals schedule, matches, winners
The WNBA Finals will feature the league’s last two MVPs, with Breanna Stewart winning this season and A’ja Wilson winning last year. Stewart edged out Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas and Wilson in one of the closest MVP races in league history.
Las Vegas and New York have split four regular season meetings this season and none have been close. The average margin of victory was over 19 points, with the closest contest being just nine. New York earned a fifth meeting between the teams with a victory in the Commissioner’s Cup championship.
“The chess match begins now. It’s a final, a championship,” said New York coach Sandy Brondello. “I’m excited. I know Becky will be excited, all the players competing will be excited. It’s a hard-fought battle, but we’re being tested, so I’m looking forward to it.
Brondello, who coached Hammon when she was still playing in San Antonio, shares a connection as the only former player to win titles as a coach. This will be the first time in the league’s 27-year history that two former players will serve as head coaches in the Finals.
The teams were built in different ways, with the Aces using three straight No. 1 picks to get Kelsey Plum, Wilson and Jackie Young from 2017 to 2019. This gave them a great core to go along with last season’s WNBA Finals MVP , Chelsea Gray.
New York used free agency and offseason trades to turn the franchise into an instant title contender by adding Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot and Jonquel Jones. Those three, along with returning starters Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney, give the Liberty a formidable starting five.
“It means a lot. I can’t take all the credit. My teammates are incredible,” Jones said after helping New York eliminate Connecticut with 25 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in Game 4. “None of this happens without all of us being convinced of what we envisioned going into the season.”
