The 2023 WNBA Finals rematch between the Aces and Liberty that everyone was hoping we would see came a series earlier than most expected, but on Sunday afternoon the two teams met in Brooklyn in the first game of their semifinal series.

The Liberty performed well, led by Breanna Stewart, who got things rolling in the first quarter, giving New York a 28-21 lead after the first 10 minutes and eventually extending that lead to 18 in the third quarter. The two-time defending champions weren’t easily rattled, however, as they used a 14-2 run to cut the deficit back to single digits, with Kelsey Plum scoring 12 points in the third to take the lead.

Not only did Plum try to get the Aces’ offense going with her shots, but she also wanted to get her team going emotionally. As happened in the NBA playoff series in New York, across town in Manhattan, a familiar face chimed in from the sidelines to add to the juice on the court as Plum took on Spike Lee, as the two looked at each other.

Spike will be Spike and he’s never afraid to get into a fight with a player. The same goes for Plum, who dishes out trash talk with the best in the W, so it felt like an inevitability. It’s all part of the fun of the playoffs in New York, even if Spike has to secure spots in Brooklyn rather than Manhattan.