High Stakes WNBA Semifinals: Las Vegas and New York Battle to Avoid Elimination
Two WNBA championship contenders, the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, face elimination after falling behind 0-2 in their semifinals series. Both teams must overcome significant challenges, including turnovers, poor shooting, and dominant opponent defenses, to avoid an unprecedented playoff exit and keep their 2026 title hopes alive.
The landscape of the WNBA playoffs has taken a dramatic turn, with two of the league's perennial powerhouses, the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, facing elimination. Both teams, which have collectively claimed three of the past four WNBA championships, find themselves down 0-2 in their respective best-of-five semifinals series. They will fight to keep their seasons alive in crucial Game 3 matchups on Friday.
The New York Liberty are set to host the surging Atlanta Dream at Barclays Center. The Dream have demonstrated remarkable form, winning nine consecutive games overall and four straight against the Liberty, a streak that extends back to the final week of the regular season. Atlanta secured victories in the first two games of the series with scores of 92-82 and 101-98 in overtime, respectively. For the Liberty to avoid elimination, they must first mentally reset and move past the chaotic end of overtime in Game 2, which involved confusion regarding a potential reset timeout. Crucially, the Liberty must address their significant turnover problem. The aggressive Dream defense, which led the league in steals, has capitalized on New York's mistakes, scoring 32 points off 21 turnovers in Game 1 and 28 points off 17 turnovers in Game 2. Atlanta has set a WNBA record by scoring 20-plus points off turnovers in four consecutive playoff games, even with guard Allisha Gray sidelined due to a finger injury.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Aces, despite a 3-0 regular-season record against the Golden State Valkyries, are in danger of being swept in their semifinals series. They hope to reverse their fortunes in Game 3 after falling 71-60 and 83-81 in San Francisco. A key factor in the Aces' struggles has been the dip in performance from five-time All-Star Jackie Young, who averaged a career-high 18.9 points per game in the regular season but is currently averaging just 12.5 points on 6-for-22 shooting in the series. The Aces' coach, Becky Hammon, critically noted the team's rebounding in Game 1, where the Valkyries dominated with a 52-25 edge. While rebounding improved slightly in Game 2 (30-25 for Valkyries), it was still insufficient. The absence of starting forward NaLyssa Smith (knee injury) and Jewell Loyd (leg injury in Game 1) has further impacted their board presence and overall play. Additionally, Las Vegas's shooting has been poor, registering a season-low 34% in Game 1 and only 44% in Game 2, struggling particularly in the first quarter of the latter game.
For the Atlanta Dream, closing out the series against the Liberty hinges on maintaining their balanced scoring and continued dominance in forcing turnovers. In Game 1, four Dream players scored at least 16 points, led by Jordin Canada's 25. Game 2 saw Canada and Angel Reese lead six players in double figures with 23 points each, with Canada also contributing significant assists and steals. The Dream's ability to convert turnovers into points has been a consistent strength.
The Golden State Valkyries' path to completing a sweep against the Aces is rooted in their impressive depth and top-tier defense. Timely offensive contributions from their bench have been crucial, with Aminata Gueye and Kaitlyn Chen combining for 20 points in Game 1, and Tiffany Hayes adding 21 points in just 16 minutes in Game 2. The Valkyries boast the league's top defense, featuring versatile defenders like Gabby Williams and Veronica Burton who can guard multiple positions, and Kiah Stokes, a former Ace, who provides critical rim protection and timely defensive plays. This collective defensive effort stifled the Aces' offense, particularly in Game 1, and forced them into low-percentage shots and turnovers.
Both A'ja Wilson of the Aces and Breanna Stewart of the Liberty, both multi-MVP superstars, are accustomed to winning championships. However, they face an immense challenge as no WNBA team has ever come back to win a best-of-five series after being down 0-2. To keep their hopes for the 2026 title alive, these teams must demonstrate a sense of desperation, dictate pace, improve rebounding, make crucial shots, and drastically reduce turnovers.