After the offseason was spent deciphering Breanna Stewart’s emoji-filled tweets and salivating at the chance to watch the star-studded Liberty try to take down the defending champion Aces, WNBA fans are getting exactly what they wanted.
The WNBA Finals kick off Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, and it will be a battle of the superteams. Will Stewie & Co. finish what they started when orchestrating a roster for the ages? Or will A’ja Wilson and the Aces show them who the real WNBA superteam is? Our staff makes its predictions for what’s bound to be an unforgettable Finals.
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Describe the 2023 season in one sentence.
Clare Brennan: Alyssa Thomas said it best herself: “I had a season you’ve never seen in this league and probably won’t see again unless I do it.”
Wilton Jackson: It was an incredible montage of record-breaking moments that we may never witness again, along with the ascent of two superteams competing at historic levels.
Julie Kliegman: It was superteam vs. superteam . . . vs. Alyssa Thomas.
Kristen Nelson: It was a predictable superteam chess match, but we still have no idea how it’s gonna end.
Who or what is each team’s x-factor?
CB: Liberty: Betnijah Laney. She has been the difference-maker for the Liberty throughout the playoffs, logging three consecutive 20+ point outings to help New York past the Sun. Laney will need to show up again for the Liberty in the Finals, as she will be tasked with containing the Aces’ lethal perimeter. If New York can get a hot-handed Laney involved on offense while setting her up for success on defense, then Sandy Brondello’s team will be very difficult to beat.
Aces: Chelsea Gray. She’s called Point Gawd for a reason, pulling the strings of this top-rated Las Vegas offense. Gray is a challenge to contain, as she is one of the best floor generals in the league, while also posing an ominous threat beyond the arc. She won last year’s WNBA Finals MVP by coming up huge in critical moments and is more than capable of doing it again.
WJ: Liberty: Betnijah Laney. Laney has undoubtedly been a fundamental piece for the Liberty on multiple occasions. We’ve seen spurts where New York can struggle offensively. In those moments, Laney showed how clutch she can be with the game on the line, especially from beyond the arch. She’s averaging her second-best three-point shooting percentage in her career as well as her second-highest total of points per game. While much attention will be placed on MVP Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, Laney will need to continue her current three-game streak averaging 20 or more points per game for the franchise to win its first WNBA title.
Aces: Chelsea Gray. I think I’ve run out of superlatives to describe what Gray brings to this team. So much discussion centers on her ability to score from anywhere on the floor. However, her vision and increased leadership in the facilitation of the Aces’ offense outweighs her single output as a player. She knocks down critical shots in big moments. But, in a battle of superteams with impeccable star power, her other attributes could be the biggest reason Las Vegas earns its second WNBA championship.
JK: Liberty: It feels odd to call a former MVP an x-factor, but Jonquel Jones may be it. Her dominance on the glass and in the paint is key for New York. And if she launches a couple of threes, too? Forget about it.
Aces: As Chelsea Gray goes, Vegas goes.
KN: Liberty: Jonquel Jones. After a slow start to the season, Jones has returned to her unbeatable form when it matters—and it will definitely matter when she's tasked with slowing down Wilson.
Aces: Kiah Stokes. Defense wins championships as they *waves toward decades of sports commentary* say, and Stokes has been that defensive difference-maker for the Aces this year, especially since Candace Parker's injury.
What will be the series’ most memeable moment?
CB: Wilson will go viral in some form or fashion. She’s already had a couple of memeable moments this year, including when a postgame interview camera got a little too close for comfort. She’s television gold and the consummate entertainer—it’s an embarrassment of riches to have one of the best players in the league also be a certified ham.
A'ja Wilson's reaction to the close camera in her post-game interview 😂 pic.twitter.com/GMJyvPtkHU
— ESPN (@espn) September 30, 2023
WJ: I know I can count on Wilson to deliver a golden moment with pure laughter on camera (as long as it’s not too close) or lit dance moment on the sideline or after a win. But I have a feeling the meme-worthy content might come from Sydney Colson giving us a comical moment that we might not forget. Shameless plug: Check out The Syd + TP Show.
JK: Will we get a Tom Brady–Kelsey Plum barking moment? I hope so.
KN: Celeb reactions courtside (eat your heart out, Taylor Swift). It’s already been a star-studded playoffs, especially in Brooklyn, and I wanna see who shows up for this matchup.
Who ya got?
CB: Liberty over Aces in five. The battle of the superteams has been hyped up all season, so why not give the people what they want and have the series go all the way? New York, hungry to clinch the franchise’s first title, holds the slight edge over the reigning champs.
WJ: Aces over Liberty in five. This series has the makings to be remembered as one of the best in WNBA Finals history. It won’t disappoint. In a perfect world, the Aces win both games on their home court. I don’t believe that happens. I think each team splits on its respective home court with Las Vegas closing out Game 5 to secure back-to-back titles.
JK: Liberty over Aces in four. Here’s the usual disclosure that I’m a homer. But based on what I saw in the season series and Commissioner’s Cup game, I really do think New York has more than a fighting chance to unseat Vegas. Why in four games instead of five? I don't know: It just feels right that the Liberty would close it out in Brooklyn.
KN: Aces over Liberty in five. For as much as this season has gone as planned, the Finals could truly go either way (though it definitely feels like it will go the distance). That said, I think Las Vegas’s recent experience will win out. Stewie has hit a bit of a slump in the postseason, and though there is plenty of talent and grit elsewhere on the Liberty to make up for her misses, the Aces can really take advantage of that.
Who is your Finals MVP and why?
CB: Breanna Stewart. After a hotly contested regular-season MVP race, Stewie will be eager to show why she came out on top—leaving little up for debate with a dominant Finals performance. She’s been effective throughout the postseason but has yet to totally explode on offense. What better time than the WNBA Finals to drop another 40-point game? Expect Breanna “Win Everything” Stewart to show up against Wilson & Co.
WJ: A’ja Wilson. On a team with some of the greatest basketball players on the planet, the two-time MVP took her game to a new level in the final stretch of the season. Stewart, respectfully, is one of the greatest to play in the W and has consistently made a case for that in her career. However, after Wilson not winning this year’s award, I think she’s fueled to deliver in a huge way, one that should serve as a defining moment in her career as well her placement among the faces of the WNBA’s superstars.
