At the start of the 2023 WNBA season, two questions were at the forefront: Would the Las Vegas Aces defend their title? Or would the newly formed New York Liberty win their first title in franchise history?

Last October, the Aces responded by becoming the first team since the Los Angeles Sparks did so in the 2001-02 season, while the Liberty left the Barclays Center court with a loss in the WNBA Finals for the fifth time.

A year later, much has changed and yet very little. Both teams have new players. The Aces most notably signed veteran defenseman Tiffany Hayes, while the Liberty reshuffled their bench and brought 24-year-old rookie winger Leonie Fiebich into their starting lineup. But the central questions from last season remain largely the same.

ADVANCED ♠️

The @LVAces return to the semifinals after defeating the Seattle Storm 83-76 in the second game of the opening round in the best-of-3 format#WelcometoW | #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/zyVU52gI5w

— WNBA (@WNBA) 25 September 2024

Of course, there is one notable difference between then and now. When Las Vegas and New York face off on Sunday, it will be in the league semifinals, not the WNBA finals. Still, the excitement is high because both teams have their eyes on a title. One semifinal is set, and another will be decided on Wednesday night.

Ionescu: New York “injected into my veins”

NEW YORK — With 6:32 left in the third quarter, Sabrina Ionescu was trailing by 8 points when she received a welcoming gesture of encouragement. Acclaimed producer, director and Brooklyn native Spike Lee rose from his courtside seat and high-fived the defender as she was preparing to shoot. Six seconds later, Ionescu hit a layup for 2 of her 11 third-quarter points.

“It felt like New York had just been injected into my veins,” Ionescu said of her exchange with Lee. “At that moment, I thought we were going to win this.”

Sabrina Ionescu’s energy source? NEW YORK PURE

In Game 2 against the Dream, Sab said she felt the Big Apple in her veins, after the legendary Spike Lee Dap#WNBAPlayoffs | @Google pic.twitter.com/JzuddgF59t

— WNBA (@WNBA) 25 September 2024

Jonquel Jones said Lee’s high-five made Ionescu “like Spiderwoman.” From that point on — and, frankly, for most of the night — Ionescu did the right thing. She led New York’s third-quarter comeback and scored a career-high 36 points in New York’s 91-82 Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Dream, clinching the series and advancing to the semifinals.

Ionescu’s relentless attack on the basket was key. Last season, she made just 19 percent of her shots at the basket and just 7 percent of her floaters, according to Synergy Sports. This season, those numbers have increased to 22.5 percent and 14.2 percent, respectively. In the third quarter, when New York played strong defense but struggled offensively, her concentration slipped, Ionescu said. She said she knew that doing so would lead to her drawing fouls, breaking down the defense and finding open teammates or creating easy scoring opportunities for herself.

“When she’s that aggressive, it opens up opportunities for everyone else,” Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said.

Ionescu made 12 of 23 shots, just the second time since the All-Star break she has shot over 50 percent of her shots, and her efficiency will be paramount as New York prepares for the semifinals against the Aces.

Ionescu should enter the game full of confidence. In three regular season games (all wins) against Las Vegas this season, she averaged 17.3 points and 6.3 assists.

Liberty players said after their victory on Tuesday that they will enjoy the break before the semifinals begin on Sunday. Ionescu seemed happy, at least for a few hours, that her hard work was paying off. As she left the press conference room, she high-fived with more than half a dozen people. “You get some from Spike Lee, too,” Ionescu repeated.

— Ben Pickman

What does the fever need to avoid elimination?

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Indiana Fever find themselves in a do-or-die situation. They need to win Wednesday to force Game 3 and extend this historic year for the franchise. But the desperation in a must-win postseason game is creating an intensity that doesn’t quite match the looseness with which Indiana has played over the last three quarters of the season.

“We like to have fun, we like to play with joy,” Lexie Hull said before practice on Tuesday. “If we’re tense, we can’t play our best. I think we have to stay true to ourselves and do what has worked and I think that will serve us well.”

That freedom has to show up on offense. The Fever admitted they didn’t play out of defensive errors and an inability to defend for the full 24 seconds in Sunday’s loss at Connecticut, but defense isn’t what defines the Fever. The beauty of their offense was missing in Game 1, resulting in missed shots on completely free jump shots and a lack of pace.

After all the skepticism about whether the young Fever know what to expect in the playoffs and adapt to the physical and playmaking of the postseason, a one-time elimination is familiar to many. Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Hull all had long NCAA Tournament runs, advancing through multiple win-or-lose games. The WNBA presents more of a challenge due to the talent level, but the Fever expect this format to bring out the best in them.

“You don’t want this to be the end, you want to keep coming back here,” Clark said. “You want to keep coming to practice, you want to keep doing shootarounds or have one more game with your team, so I think that’s how I approach it. I don’t want this to end. I think it’s been a really special year for our organization.”

This magical ride is guaranteed to last just 40 minutes. To maintain the good mood off the pitch, the Fever must find this energy on the pitch.

—Sabreena Merchant

There were moments in September when the play and energy of Aces point guard Chelsea Gray was very reminiscent of the 2022 Finals version of the MVP, the player who delivered stab after stab while weaving through the eye of the needle to find her teammates, the player who always rose to the challenge and ultimately led her franchise to its first WNBA title.

At first, they were just fleeting glimpses as Gray recovered and rehabbed from a foot injury that ended her season in the 2023 WNBA Finals and caused her to miss the first 12 games of this season. In addition, as ESPN reported Tuesday night, Gray also sustained a hip injury that required stem cell injections. But as is often the case with Gray, her timing is impeccable. As the playoffs began, she kept returning to her usual form – the Aces’ “Point Gawd.” And it’s no surprise that Las Vegas hit the ground running, reaching an 11-5 record after the Olympic break, which coincided with Gray’s more regular appearances.

“She’s not coming back slowly,” A’ja Wilson said. “She’s back.”

Annex A:

The death of Chelsea Gray, my goodness. pic.twitter.com/81JILABsj4

— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) 25 September 2024

Annex B:

CHELSEA GREY WITH AN UNREAL DIME pic.twitter.com/rxpEkic0hC

— ESPN (@espn) 25 September 2024

Gray scored 12 points and nine assists to help the Aces win the first round and advance to the semifinals against the Liberty in an 83-76 win over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday.

In the regular season, New York swept the Aces in three meetings (Gray was only available for two). But Las Vegas with Gray as the point gawd presents a very different game plan and approach than the team New York had just a few weeks ago. Their penchant for big shots (their 15-footer that turned Game 2 into a three-possession game with two minutes left is a big deal for Seattle) and big moments aren’t necessarily something opponents can plan for.

“She’s just a big-chance player, a big, big playmaker,” said teammate Kelsey Plum. “There’s this narrative that she’s slowly getting back to form. She’s in top form. … One of the things that’s so great about Chelsea is that she does the things that need to be done to win the game.”

On Sunday and Tuesday, Gray did the following: She shot baskets and found her teammates, she was the team’s “free safety,” as coach Becky Hammon calls her, and she made decisions and plays on defense that got the team into transition.

Gray is looking more and more like Gray, which means the Aces are looking more and more like the Aces, which means the Liberty don’t have much to take from the regular season because Point Gawd is so important.

— Chantel Jennings

(Photo: Barry Gossage / NBAE via Getty Images)