October 9, 2023
Locked On Women’s Basketball: WNBA Finals Game 1 recap: Aces take down Liberty with second-half surge
By The Next
Howard talks about Jackie Young led the defending champion Aces to victory
The WNBA Finals are here and Howard Megdal is ready to recap Game 1 for Locked On Women’s Basketball. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces defeated the New York Liberty 99-82 with a stellar outing from Jackie Young and lock-down defense. How will New York’s backcourt respond? Howard covers it all.
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So, let’s start with Young. She had 26 points, shooting 9-for-15 from the field, in 39-plus minutes in Game 1. Fifteen of those points came from beyond the ark. Young also added five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
“The New York Liberty or the Noah’s Ark of rosters, they’ve got to have everything,” Howard said. “So what does that mean? That means you need a team that matches up against them in a way that allows for versatility on everything from matchup changes to switches within a possession. And it’s just something that Jackie Young does as well as anybody in the game.”
Then, in segment two, Howard turned his attention to the Aces’ defensive performance, comparing it to the season at large and the series against the Liberty.
“The New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces were tied this season in rebound percentage,” Howard said. “But, they got there in dramatically different ways. The New York Liberty were the best offensive-rebounding team in the league and the Las Vegas Aces worked well in offensive rebounds, which is not what they do. It’s not how you win if you’re the Aces. We saw how you win if you’re the Aces, you have a three-headed guard monster. You have A’ja Wilson not forcing, but finding the contact.”
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Without question, Jackie Young is the classiest player on the Aces. I think she plays focused, determined, and ego-free basketball. Watching her play gives one the sense that team comes first, and that is what drives her. It’s a style of play that is easy to appreciate and respect.