The first half of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals was one of the best 20 minutes of basketball all season. Both teams were at the top of their game getting performances from stars and role players and the New York Liberty were up 49-46 at the half. Marine Johannes came off the bench for 14 points (4-for-5 from three) and two assists to give New York a boost as a flame-thrower off the bench, bringing a lot of excitement to the WNBA Finals. Then the second half started and Las Vegas showed why it was not just the best team in the WNBA this season, but of all-time.
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In the second half, Las Vegas outscored New York 53-33 to cruise to a 99-82 Game 1 win at home. Las Vegas was outstanding in the second half and looked like a team that is destined to be just the third team in WNBA history to win back-to-back championships.
The key to this win came from the backcourt with Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray combining for 72 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists.
All game those three were overwhelming, but in different ways.
Young finished the game with 26 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals as a quiet assassin. She finished the game 9-for-15 from the field (5-for-8 from three) and came up with timely plays on both ends of the floor, making clutch threes and creating turnovers. All of the publicity for Las Vegas is rightfully centered on two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, WNBA Finals MVP Gray and the dynamic scoring of Plum, but Young continues to get better every year and do her job in a way that allows her teammates to shine.
The third quarter was all about Young with 14 points (5-for-7 shooting), three steals, two assists and two rebounds to help Las Vegas take control.
Gray (20 points, nine assists and six rebounds) and Plum (26 points and five rebounds) closed out the fourth quarter with 10 points and nine points respectively, picking up the baton from Young to close out the game.
That is how Las Vegas dominates games. It has the ability to overwhelm teams with the overall talent on the roster, but also with one or two players taking over a quarter then passing the baton to another teammate or two.
Plum got to the rim at will, breaking down the defense whenever she wanted, going 9-12 from two all game. Gray paced the offense in the middle of the floor with her pick-and-roll game with Wilson creating an offense that could score anywhere at any time with all four of the core players dominating in different ways.
While the backcourt absolutely, scoring at all three levels, outclassing the New York backcourt Wilson just did what Wilson does.
The two-time MVP and Defensive Player of the Year finished the game with 19 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists. She was a force on defense and was automatic from the field finishing 7-11 from the field and 5-6 from the free-throw line.
In the end the core four in Las Vegas combined for 91 points, 28 rebounds, 19 assists and 11 steals plus blocks. The rest of the roster added in eight points, 10 rebounds, five assists and one steal.
When Wilson, Gray, Plum and Young as a quartet can outplay the second-best team in the WNBA with any fifth player on the court they confirm that Las Vegas is the best team not only this season, but potentially of all-time.
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