The Liberty are here because …
The collective bargaining agreement ratified in 2020 relaxed restrictions on player movement by lowering the number of years teams can keep core players from five to two. No team has seized on the open market quite like New York, who signed the inestimable Breanna Stewart and All-Star point guard Courtney Vandersloot as free agents (and traded for former MVP Jonquel Jones) to join a young core led by Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney. And voilà: a superteam was born. BAG
This team is as deep as they are talented. Where teams – even superteams – can struggle is when a franchise makes so many big moves from one season to the next and rosters need time to settle and jell. The Liberty and Sandy Brondello wasted no time figuring out who they are and how best to get it done on the floor. KH
They took advantage of the league’s new free agency rules and signed Stewart, who went on to win this year’s MVP. With a big three of Stewie, Ionescu and Jones, the Liberty have enough talent to overcome their lack of continuity, beating the Aces in the Commissioner’s Cup final and defeating the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA semi-finals. OW
The Aces are here because ...
They have an owner who puts his money where his mouth is. Yes, Las Vegas have basketball’s finest core four in A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. But Mark Davis has spared no expense in helping them max out their potential by cultivating an organizational culture that has become the gold standard in women’s sports. Since buying the Aces two and a half years ago, the owner of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders poached Becky Hammon from the NBA on a record $1m-a-year contract and spent $40m on an 80,000 sq ft state-of-the-art practice space that is the first women-specific, unshared training facility in the WNBA’s 27-year history. The results are speaking for themselves. BAG
Tunnel vision, blinders, a winner’s drive, whatever you want to call it, the Aces have it in spades. This team set a WNBA record for wins in a season (34-6) for a reason, and have coolly coasted through the postseason. Without Candace Parker, Hammon’s star core of starters have been grinding out big minutes all season, conditioning themselves for this stacked matchup. KH
They have Wilson and Gray, who are both firing on all cylinders right now. After a historic season in which they won a record 34 games, the Aces are 5-0 in the playoffs, with the most points per game (71.4) and the largest margin of victory (14.8). They look primed to become the first repeat WNBA champions since 2001-02. OW
Is the superteam era good for the WNBA?
I honestly don’t know. Probably yes? The NBA’s embrace of player movement as an outgrowth of ring culture has drawn valid criticisms over the past decade or so. But there’s no question the WNBA’s version has wrought an accessible narrative that’s gotten more casual fans than ever under the tent in the nine months since Stewart and Vandersloot signed with New York on consecutive days. Hopes are high that it could usher the league into a new era of competition, say nothing of backroom skulduggery, not unlike the Lakers and Celtics in the 1980s. BAG
Undoubtably. Broadcast numbers were up 67% halfway through the season, making this the most-watched W campaign in over 20 years. This impacts athlete salaries, puts good pressure on league decisions in equity for athletes (like chartered team travel), ramps up urgency for expansion (which means more jobs for women to turn pro), plus myriad other impacts on competition and growth for the league at large. KH
Not only is it good, but it could change the WNBA indefinitely by pushing the rest of the league to invest in their players and catch up to the biggest markets. Meanwhile, the league is breaking all sorts of viewership records and giving incoming fans a peek into the product at the deepest and most entertaining it’s ever been. OW
There's a new superteam era in the WNBA 🤩@LVAces | @nyliberty pic.twitter.com/v6lTt5f31Y
— espnW (@espnW) February 2, 2023
The coaching advantage goes to ...
I’d rather have Hammon on my bench. But you could argue that Brondello has done the more impressive coaching job this year by helping the Liberty’s small army of high-usage stars meet the sky-high expectations that come with the superteam label. She has gotten the rotations right since that dismal season opener, helmed the Liberty to the best regular-season record in franchise history and has them peaking at the right time. BAG
This is tough. Hammon is a shrewd coach who relies on her core, and that singular trust in them has paid off. Brondello on the other hand has leaned on her bench when the starting rotation gets stagnant, and has made more adjustments out of necessity through the playoffs. Hammon’s got the home-court advantage – which her team prefers – and these two are so evenly matched as coaches that might be the only edge. KH
Hammon, but the advantage will go to whichever coach can effectively manage their bench in the finals. After all, the Aces and Liberty have both been hesitant to play more than six players when the chips are down, but getting meaningful contributions from the bench could make all the difference. OW
Unheralded player to watch
Marine Johannès, New York. The Liberty’s creative off guard, aka the French Steph Curry, has played only 42 minutes in the playoffs so far. But she’s had some big games against Las Vegas in the past, most memorably her game-high 17 points off the bench in the Commissioner’s Cup final. BAG
Betnijah Laney, New York. She plays on both sides of the ball all game long, has stepped into impactful moments all playoffs, and can shoot the three – a factor that’s been crucial for energizing the Liberty’s occasionally slow-starting offense. Stewart has credited Laney for giving the Liberty “clarity” when they need it, and Brondello raves about her grit and toughness. She’s going to be the x-factor New York need to win. KH
Jonquel Jones, New York. The 2021 WNBA MVP isn’t exactly unheralded, but it has taken a while for her to get comfortable in New York, averaging her fewest points since she was a rookie (11.3). Still, the 6ft 6in big has come to life in the playoffs, averaging 17-13-2, and will present a matchup nightmare for the Aces. OW
Your NBA finals MVP will be ...
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas. The 6ft 4in forward has been dominant as ever in the first two rounds of the playoffs, averaging 25.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game in the Aces’ sweeps of the Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings. Denied a third WNBA MVP trophy in one of the closest races ever, there will be no shortage of personal motivation to show her best against Stewart. BAG
Jonquel Jones, New York. She’s been on fire since All-Star and put her team on her back to get past her former team, the Sun – who she was also instrumental in powering to the finals last season. She’s a tireless defender, a menace on the defensive boards and a walking double-double (six and counting in these playoffs). KH
Breanna Stewart, New York. For as much as the ultra-versatile forward has been held in check throughout the playoffs – a relatively mortal 19.8 points and 2.8 assists per game – Stewart has made her presence known on defense with averages of 9.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.8 blocks. As the leverage increases and things slow down, Stewart should be able to take advantage. OW
The winner will be ...
The Las Vegas Aces in four games. The Liberty are very good and have created unique matchup problems for their vaunted rivals all year. But the Aces are one of the best teams I’ve ever seen in men’s or women’s basketball, at least since the KD Warriors. The execution, the intensity, the discipline and attention to detail. So unselfish, so dialed-in and everyone looks like they’re having a blast. I believe we’ll see their best when the lights burn brightest. BAG
The New York Liberty, and I think it goes to five. The Aces are a juggernaut but haven’t had many tactical challenges all playoffs, if all season, and the Liberty have evolved throughout every series. Pride’s on the line – New York’s the only original WNBA team without a title – and so is proof of concept. Plus, it’s always a motivator to take down the defending champs, especially these champs. KH
The New York Liberty in five games. It’s probably silly to bet against the Aces, but the Liberty match up well against them and are battle-tested after defeating the experienced Sun. If Stewart and Jones can make things uncomfortable for Wilson and take advantage of the Aces lack of depth, they could pull off the upset. OW
